Italian Spaghetti Squash Salad (Vegan + Gluten-Free) – A Light Twist on Pasta Salad
If you’re looking for a fresh and healthy twist on traditional pasta salad, this Italian Spaghetti Squash Salad is a must-try. Light, flavorful, and naturally vegan and gluten-free, it features tender spaghetti squash strands tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, capers, and fresh basil—all tied together with a bright lemon olive oil vinaigrette. It’s the perfect light dish for lunches, potlucks, or meal prep. With classic Mediterranean flavors and a pasta-like texture, this plant-based salad is a delicious, nutrient-packed alternative to heavier pasta salads.
Spaghetti squash is a great replacement for pasta in dishes. Those golden, crunchy strands of squash can stand in for wheat-based pasta, to create a lower-calorie, gluten-free, plant-based (vegan) salad just shining with health benefits. In this Mediterranean inspired, colorful salad, simple roasted spaghetti squash is tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, olives, pine nuts, and basil, with a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Just cut up a fresh spaghetti squash into fourths, scoop out the seeds, and roast. Then cool it and fluff it into strands with a fork. Then mix in that gorgeous, colorful combo of veggies and dressing to create a powerfully delicious salad. This salad is filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, thanks to those brightly colored vegetables. Plus, it holds up well in the fridge for a few days, as the flavors meld together and deepen. This spaghetti squash salad is fabulous served at a summer picnic or potluck, on a grill day to accompany veggie burgers, or as a simple rustic side dish for any meal.
Watch me make this recipe on Instagram here.
Description
This Italian-style Spaghetti Squash Salad is light, vegan, and gluten-free! Made with fresh veggies, basil, and a lemon vinaigrette—perfect for summer.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
Salad:
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Place spaghetti squash quarters, peel side down, in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Cover the bottom of the dish with ½-inch of water. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the surface of the squash, and sprinkle with salt (optional) and pepper.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook just until squash is tender, and can be loosened into strands with a fork, and is cooked but not mushy (about 40-50 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare salad ingredients by placing tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onions, olives, pine nuts, and basil in a large salad bowl.
- Prepare vinaigrette by whisking together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt (optional) in a small bowl.
- When squash has cooled to the touch, flake off strands of spaghetti squash with a fork into the salad bowl, until all squash has been removed from peel. Gently mix together salad. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently until it is distributed.
- Serve immediately, or chill until serving time.
- Makes about 10 servings (3/4 cups each).
- Prep Time: 22 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 77
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
Top 10 Summer Salads
Discover even more plant-based salads ideal for your summer celebrations!
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Italian Chopped Salad
Picnic Potato and Corn Salad with BBQ Dressing
Pantescan Potato Salad
Grilled Corn and Tofu Salad
Roasted Tempeh Summer Salad
Grilled Nectarine Salad with Citrus Ginger Dressing
Arugula Salad with Tomatoes
Radish Salad with Cantaloupe and Pumpkin Seeds
Blueberry Wheatberry Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette
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