Summer Spaghetti Salad and The Weekly Menu

Summertime in this household means lots of entertaining.  This is especially true during the month of July when my brother and his family come in to visit from California.  Luckily vegetables are abundant during the summer and my refrigerator is filled with finds from Farmer's Markets and Roadside stands.

This year, however, we had a very crappy June and our local produce is late getting to the markets. Nearly constant rain and below average temperatures this Spring wreaked havoc on our farmers and their crops.

That didn't stop me from making this Spaghetti Salad using what summertime veggies I had on hand.

Filled with seasonal vegetables and dressed with a store bought robust Italian, this salad can feed a crowd and is ready in minutes.



Last week I told you how we came home to an unexpected house full of guests and prepared extra spaghetti and sauce for dinner.

Well, Frank went slightly overboard with the spaghetti noodles and after everyone had eaten their fill we still had a ton of spaghetti left.  It is like the parable of the loaves and fishes, the spaghetti seemed to have multiplied.

A few days later, we had a gang here again and decided to throw burgers on the grill.  I opened the refrigerator and saw that bag of leftover spaghetti.  I decided to make a salad to help stretch the meal.

I opened the vegetable bin and pulled out what I had in there.  I also had some grape tomatoes sitting on the counter that I included in the salad.  I pulled out a bottle of Robust Italian Dressing that was in the refrigerator and some shredded Parmesan Cheese and I was in business.

The salad was made before the burgers were off the grill.  Perfect recipe.......easy, peasy and delicious!

This month went extremely quickly.  My brother leaves on his Harley Monday morning to start the trek back home.  Tuesday we are going to my nieces house where we will drop off my sister in law and great nephew.  Her daughter, Sterling, is going home with them on the train Wednesday morning for a couple of weeks.  And POOF.  Like that my house will be empty.  I will still have my Angel Face for a few more days until her Mama returns home from France.

Tomorrow, Mary and I are attending a baby shower in the early afternoon.  Then Frank, Kirsten, John and I are singing at 4 pm Mass.  We will be grabbing dinner out afterwards.

Sunday is a free day, however since Larry is leaving on Monday it wouldn't surprise me if we have folks dropping in to say goodbye.  I'm planning a dinner that can be adapted to feed more if necessary.

Monday morning we have a funeral to attend and I have a meeting at church in the afternoon.  Tuesday we are going out to dinner with my niece and her family when we drop off the CA family.  Wednesday is the 5th Wednesday of the month so I have food pantry.  Thursday, weather permitting we will attend Music in the Park.  Friday is clear right now so I hope to just enjoy some quiet time in the pool.

So here is the Weekly Menu, followed by the recipe for this delicious Summer Spaghetti Salad.

Saturday
Out for dinner after Mass

Sunday
Pork and Apple Kabobs
Assorted Salads

Meatless Monday
Onion Tart

Tuesday
Out for dinner

Wednesday
Turkey Tostadas

Thursday-Picnic in the Park
Fried Chicken Sub

Fish Friday
Grilled Shrimp Tacos

#salad, #pasta, #summerlife, #vegetables,

Pasta, Salads

American

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Summer Spaghetti Salad

Filled with seasonal vegetables and dressed with a store bought robust Italian, this salad can feed a crowd and is ready in minutes.

prep time: 20 Mcook time: total time: 20 M

ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per package directions and cooled completelye
• 1 carrot, scraped and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, scrubbed and diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 pt. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15 oz) bottle Robust Italian Dressing
• 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese

instructions:

How to cook Summer Spaghetti Salad

1. Place the spaghetti into a large bowl.  Add the vegetables, half the bottle of dressing and the cheese.  Toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  
2. When serving, toss again and add additional dressing if needed.

Calories
78.06

Fat (grams)
1.01

Sat. Fat (grams)
0.38

Carbs (grams)
14.33

Fiber (grams)
1.00

Net carbs
13.32

Sugar (grams)
1.98

Protein (grams)
3.02

Sodium (milligrams)
48.19

Cholesterol (grams)
1.20

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