Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad

Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad is a healthy twist on a classic summer pasta salad. It’s sure to be a favorite at your next barbecue or picnic.

The “Healthy” Salad Myth

I love salads. Whether a simple side salad with ranch, this delicious Steakhouse Wedge Salad, a classic pasta salad or a hearty main dish salad like a Caesar with chicken or fish, they all have a place with me.

What I don’t like is the claim that because it has the word “salad” in it, that automatically makes it healthy. So many salads are huge, with tons of high-calorie dressing, and massive amounts of toppings like nuts and different cheeses. If you check the nutritional information on many of these salads, you’ll see they have more calories than some burgers, sandwiches and fries combined!

But, that shouldn’t discourage us from wanting a refreshing salad that both tastes great and could actually be part of a lower calorie diet! That’s what this Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad is all about.

Pasta Salad Transformed

Personally, I really love a good cold pasta salad recipe. Put together some cooked pasta, zesty Italian dressing, and fresh veggies and you have a winning combo. Both great to have at home or bring to a summer party.

So, how to make a delicious, easy Italian pasta salad recipe but at the same time bring down the calories and still have as much flavor as any classic pasta salad? Liberal use of fresh, colorful veggies and replace the pasta with veggie “pasta”. Let’s start with the fresh vegetables.

In keeping with the classic Italian pasta salad theme, I tend to go fairly traditional with vegetables such as juicy tomatoes, capers, crisp cucumbers and peppers. But, the great thing is that you can see what’s in season at your local grocery store and go from there. No wrong answers!

For this recipe, I use red bell peppers (I love both the flavor and the color), and both grape tomatoes (easy to cut into small pieces) and sun-dried tomatoes (provides a different texture and tomato flavor). Capers then add a wonderful tanginess and the cucumber brings in a summer freshness.

A good hard salami and some grated parmesan cheese bring a saltiness that works great with the vegetables.

Ah, but what transforms this pasta salad? Replacing the flour-based pasta with vegetable “pasta”.

Using a Spiralizer

I make pasta alternatives using a Spiralizer. If you haven’t jumped on the Spiralizer bandwagon yet, I encourage you to consider it.

Basically, a Spiralizer allows you to take vegetable and create a noodle. They are much like spaghetti noodles.

The best part? It takes no time to spiralize and there are so many veggies it works for. Cucumbers, zucchini, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and even apples can all be turned into noodles and can be a really healthy alternative to pasta.

For this recipe, I use both the cucumbers and red bell peppers to create the “pasta” in this salad. They are a super refreshing alternative to any type of pasta you may use in your transitional Italian pasta salad. Also, lower carb and lower calorie, but still big taste.

If you don’t have a Spiralizer, no worries, you can still make this salad. An easy way to address is to either shred the cucumber with a box grater or cut it into cubes. The red pepper can be cut into thin strips.

Finishing the Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad

Once you’ve Spiralized the cucumber and red pepper, that provides the base of the salad (i.e. the “pasta”). Now, add your capers, tomatoes, hard salami and cheese.

As for the Italian salad dressing? I kept it simple by using a store bought balsamic vinaigrette. You can also use an Italian vinaigrette.

Now, do the final dressing with some fresh basil (color and flavor) and black pepper to taste. Done and done! Serve the salad with these Easy Pizza Knots and you’ve got a full meal.

Time For You to Try the Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad

It’s crunchy and bursting with awesome flavors AND because we’re making “pasta” by Spiralizing cucumbers, it’s a perfect side dish you can feel good about indulging in a second…..or third helping. Can you say low carb and healthy?!

And, not only is this salad healthy, it’s also a snap to make. It only takes minutes to spiralize a couple of cucumbers and a red pepper along with a few minutes to chop the rest of the ingredients.

This salad is also easily customizable. For example, if you’re not a fan of capers but you love black olives, make the switch.

If you have pepperoni on hand rather than hard salami, go for it. You get the idea, right? No matter if you make this salad as written or you switch it up a bit, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Before you know it, your salad is ready to rock and roll!

Tips and Tricks

• If you don’t have a spiralizer for the cucumber and red pepper, you have a couple of options. For the cucumber, you can either use a box grater and grate the cucumber, or cut it into small cubes. For the red pepper, simply cut into thin strips.
• Italian vinaigrette can be substituted for balsamic vinaigrette. If you have a few more minutes you can make this easy homemade balsamic dressing I use for my Field Greens Salad.
• Black olives are a great substitution for the capers.

Ingredients Needed to Make Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Seedless cucumbers (also known as English cucumbers) – I feel like these work better for spiralizing than regular cucumbers.
• Bell pepper – My preference is red bell peppers because of both the sweetness in flavor and the color that it adds to the salad. However, if you don’t have a red pepper, any color pepper that you have is fine.
• Grape tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are also a good choice.
• Sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil – These add a deeper flavor as well as a slightly chewy texture to the salad.
• Capers – Substitutions are kalamata or black olives.
• Hard salami – Pepperoni is also a great option or your favorite spicy salami.
• Fresh basil
• Shredded parmesan cheese – For this salad, shredded parm is a better choice than grated parm. The grated parm tends to get lost in the other ingredients.
• Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette – You can also use Italian vinaigrette if that’s what you have on hand.
• Black pepper

How to Make Italian Cucumber “Pasta” Salad

• After prepping the ingredients (per the recipe card), combine them all in a large bowl.
• Toss until well-coated with dressing and season with a generous amount of black pepper.

ENJOY!

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave