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Home » Recipes » What To Serve With

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2024 by Angela Latimer · 1 Comment

What To Serve With Spaghetti

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What to serve with spaghetti pin with text header box.

If you're stuck wondering what to serve with spaghetti, I've gathered a few of my favorite recipes to serve as satisfying sides. Crunchy bread, crisp salads, and tasty veggie sides will build a complete meal your family will love. These flavorful sides are guaranteed to take your weekday dinner up a notch!

See my popular spaghetti seasoning recipe, hearty spaghetti bolognese, and what to serve with baked spaghetti or what to serve with spaghetti and meatballs for spaghetti night perfection.

What to serve with spaghetti dinner image showing baked spaghetti.
Jump to:
  • Best Side Dishes to Serve With Spaghetti
  • 1. Garlic Bread
  • 2. Panzanella Salad
  • 3. Cucumber Salad
  • 4. Caramelized Brussel Sprouts
  • 5. Garden Salad
  • 6. Baked Zucchini
  • 7. Caprese
  • 8. Meatballs
  • 9. Roasted Broccoli
  • 10. Ratatouille
  • 11. Caesar Salad
  • 12. Sauteed Mushrooms
  • 13. Roasted Green Beans
  • 14. Bruschetta
  • 15. Sauteed Broccolini
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • What To Serve With Spaghetti: 15+ Best Side Dishes To Make On Spaghetti Night!
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

Like risotto and gnocchi, a great spaghetti is one of those beloved classic Italian dishes that should always be in a cook’s back pocket. Spaghetti with red sauce is a quick, simple, and delicious meal that’s still one of my favorite dinners to make.

It’s also a great opportunity to let your creativity shine with some amazing side dishes!

Whether it’s classic garlic bread, savory meatballs, or a bright refreshing seasonal salad, choosing any of these dishes will elevate your dinner to an Italian-inspired feast to be remembered.

Best Side Dishes to Serve With Spaghetti

When deciding which side dish you want, it’s important to think about contrasting flavors and textures. Spaghetti does not have much of texture, so crunchy vegetables and salads are always a great choice.

Something else to consider is acidity. Spaghetti can be a heavy dish so choosing a side with bright acidity helps to lighten things up!

Whichever you opt for, here are some of the best dishes to serve with your spaghetti dinner!

1. Garlic Bread

The OG. The classic. There’s something about slathering crispy sourdough bread with a pungent butter full of garlic, cheese, and herbs that makes everything right in the world.

Skip the frozen store bought stuff and make your own! Garlic bread is a classic choice for a reason. It just works, every time.

Air Fryer Garlic Bread
This air fryer garlic bread is a quick and easy side dish that's incredibly tasty, perfectly crispy, and ready to serve in just 10 minutes! All you have to do is make garlic butter to spread over your sliced bread; then the air fryer takes over! Serve it with your favorite main dishes and watch how quickly it disappears!
Check out this recipe
Wide image of the toasted air fryer garlic bread slices.

2. Panzanella Salad

Toasted, day-old bread soaked in vinaigrette with fresh tomatoes and herbs is something to look forward to every summer when tomatoes are at their best. Full of flavor and texture, it’s a perfect complement to spaghetti marinara.

Panzanella
Check out this recipe

3. Cucumber Salad

A quick salad of sliced cucumber, feta cheese, and red onion is always in season and makes for a great appetizer or side dish to go along with a big bowl of spaghetti.

Cucumber Vinegar Salad
This delightfully refreshing cucumber vinegar salad with dill, red onion, and cherry tomatoes makes a perfect light appetizer or side for any meal. This salad is nice and crisp with the perfect combination of tangy and sweet- it doesn't get any better.
Check out this recipe
Amazingly tasty cucumber vinegar salad with red onion, cherry tomatoes, and fresh dill.

4. Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

Wonderful all year round, but especially in the colder months, caramelized Brussels sprouts make for a savory yet light side. Elevate your standard Brussels sprouts by adding a few drops of fish sauce for an umami bomb of a side dish with your spaghetti meal!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
These tasty Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts are super easy to make! They’re also equally suitable for an anytime weeknight dinner, holiday meals, and special occasions! Fresh or frozen brussels sprouts are baked to crispy, caramelized perfection that retains their wonderfully nutty flavor too!
Check out this recipe
Roasted brussel sprouts showing golden caramelized color in a white serving bowl on white background

5. Garden Salad

The perfect comfort food addition to your spaghetti marinara dinner, the garden salad may be simple but it’s also endlessly customizable so use whatever veggies are in season. Oven-roasted beets, goat cheese, and pine nuts make a great addition!

Green Garden Salad with Vinaigrette
This Green Garden Salad with Vinaigrette perfectly complements any lunch or dinner entrée. Bursting with fresh, customizable vegetables, this classic salad is delicious and incredibly easy to prepare. In just a few minutes, you can whip up both the salad and the homemade dressing, making it an ideal, quick addition to your meal.
Check out this recipe
Wide side image of a green garden salad.

6. Baked Zucchini

Summer squash and zucchini are best at the height of summer and don’t need much to make them delicious. Baked zucchini with a little salt, pepper, and parmesan is full of flavor and always good with a tomato sauce.

Marinate the zucchini with olive oil, sherry vinegar, and fresh oregano for a stunner of a dish!

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds
These Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds are super quick and incredibly easy to make! They're wonderfully tasty and a healthy option as a snack or vegetable side dish! Serve with ranch dressing or marinara sauce for the perfect game day appetizer, too!
Check out this recipe
These super easy oven baked parmesan zucchini rounds are a delicious and healthy snack or side to enjoy at any time!

7. Caprese

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil is hard to beat. Go for cherry tomatoes and the “bocconcini” size fresh mozzarella for easier sharing. Drizzle some aged balsamic and really good olive oil along with some torn basil and you’ve got a perfect dish!

Caprese Salad With Balsamic And Olive Oil
This classic caprese salad recipe is an especially cool and refreshing appetizer, side dish, or snack for the hot summer months! You don't have to be eating Italian food to enjoy fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, balsamic, and olive oil- it's an easy side salad that goes with anything!
Check out this recipe
Best caprese salad served while the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil are fresh and vibrant.

>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<

8. Meatballs

Like The Beatles, spaghetti & meatballs will never go out of style. Meatballs are a great side for many dishes, but they truly shine alongside spaghetti.

Use a mix of ground beef & pork and lots of fresh herbs like parsley and oregano for meatballs that will blow your mind!

Baked Italian Meatballs
These scrumptious baked Italian meatballs are savory, flavorful, and mildly sweet - making them a welcome addition to any meal! These easy yet flavorful meatballs will have you feeling like you're in Nonna's kitchen in no time!
Check out this recipe
Best baked Italian meatballs sauced and plated on serving tray.

9. Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that take roasting and charring really well. The high heat and caramelization adds amazing flavor to a simple vegetable. Add some garlic and grated Parmesan to take it over the top!

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan
My easy oven roasted broccoli with garlic and Parmesan cheese combines my favorite flavors in a staple dinner side dish. I love the wonderful garlic flavor and rich Parmesan cheese topping that make this recipe hard to beat. Plus, roasting brings out a different broccoli flavor that's a treat for all veggie lovers.
Check out this recipe
Wide image of roasted broccoli with garlic and Parmesan cheese in a white bowl.

10. Ratatouille

If it grows together, it goes together. Squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers combine into a perfect roasted melody of flavors that pair beautifully with spaghetti!

Ratatouille Recipe
Check out this recipe
Ratatouille Recipe

11. Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is a classic pasta side dish that I love to make. My tasty dressing uses Worcestershire sauce to omit the anchovies for a flavorful salad everyone will enjoy.

Caesar Salad Dressing Without Anchovies
This Caesar salad dressing without anchovies is delicious, creamy, and easy to make with just a few ingredients. It whips up in minutes with no eggs or anchovies needed. Soon, you'll have a rich, flavorful dressing ready to use.
Check out this recipe
Wide closeup on the creamy Caesar salad dressing no anchovies tossed with greens and served with croutons.

12. Sauteed Mushrooms

For an earthy and meaty-tasting veggie side dish to spaghetti, sauteed mushrooms are a great choice! Take it up a notch by adding chopped shallots and fine herbs for a great addition to pasta.

Garlic Butter Mushrooms
These garlic butter mushrooms are decadently flavorful and are one of the easiest side dishes or appetizers you can make! They are savory, caramelized, and full of rich, buttery flavor! Just 10 minutes is all you need to saute this amazing dish to perfection!
Check out this recipe
Garlic butter mushrooms in sauce wiht parsley garnish.

13. Roasted Green Beans

This dish has tons of crunchy texture which pairs perfectly with a bowl of pasta. Take your standard roasted green beans to another level by adding sliced fresh radishes and pine nuts!

Roasted Green Beans
Roasted green beans are an easy-to-make side dish that is super versatile and practically effortless to get on the table for family meals. Plus, they're equally wonderful alongside holiday main dishes. This recipe combines all the freshness of green veggies with lemon-garlic butter and pepper. 
Check out this recipe
Oven roasted green beans in serving bowl.

14. Bruschetta

Super quick and easy, tomatoes and basil dressed in olive oil and a little balsamic on top of crispy bread make a great dinner side dish. Pro tip: use the garlic bread for your bruschetta to blow some minds.

Balsamic Bruschetta
Check out this recipe
Balsamic Bruschetta

15. Sauteed Broccolini

A classic gourmet side. A quick saute enhances the flavor of the broccolini and makes it perfectly fork-tender. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and roasted garlic makes an even more delicious dish!

Sauteed Broccolini
Sauteed broccolini is a vegetable side dish that is easy to make. Everyone in the family will love to have with dinner! The tasty, tender veggie can be hard to find in stores but is totally worth grabbing every bunch on the shelves when you do find it!
Check out this recipe
Sauteed broccolini garnished garnished and served on white plate.

I hope that you enjoy an amazingly tasty spaghetti dinner with these ideas for the best sides to serve with your meal. Be sure to share your favorite sides in the comments below and check back in to let me know what you liked best! ~ Angela

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5 from 29 reviews

What To Serve With Spaghetti: 15+ Best Side Dishes To Make On Spaghetti Night!

If you're stuck wondering what to serve with spaghetti, I've gathered a few of my favorite recipes to serve as satisfying sides. Crunchy bread, crisp salads, and tasty veggie sides will build a complete meal your family will love. These flavorful sides are guaranteed to take your weekday dinner up a notch!
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 80kcal
Prep 5 minutes minutes
Cooking 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 15 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin, or coconut oil)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (finely minced)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (rinsed, cut in half)
  • 1 lb asparagus (1 bunch, rinsed, ends trimmed)
  • each, salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated, optional)

(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large skillet with the 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat, add the minced 1 tablespoon garlic to the heated oil, and then the halved 1 cup cherry tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning your garlic.
  • Add the 1 lb asparagus (cut in half, if you want to cook them faster) and stir to mix with garlic and tomatoes. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the asparagus has reached your desired level of tenderness. Add each, salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkle Parmesan cheese once dished up (optional).

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal (4%) | Carbohydrates: 9g (3%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 4.5g (7%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Sodium: 260mg (11%) | Potassium: 370mg (11%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 4g (4%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course Side Dish, vegetable side dish
Cuisine American
« What To Serve With Beef Stroganoff
Worcestershire Sauce Substitute »

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    5 from 29 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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  1. Anonymous says

    August 13, 2022 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    A great list of sides and ideas for spaghetti I will be trying several of these recipes.

    Reply

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Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

Welcome to Bake It With Love. Enjoy!

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