Bow-Tie Pasta Salad

I have always been and will forever be a pasta salad fan. Use this recipe as a base and feel free to add colorful veggies like broccoli and bell peppers to create your own unique dish. If you want a healthier pasta salad, you can substitute whole-wheat pasta and light Italian dressing. You may also wish to add more Italian dressing after refrigeration and storage to bring back some of the flavor that is absorbed by the pasta.

FOOD FACT: While pasta is cooking, water is absorbed by the starch particles, which in turn form the gel structure that makes pasta soft and gummy like. Many chefs add olive oil during cooking to keep pasta from sticking together. However, this is highly ineffective, especially after the pasta is drained, because most of it washes off. To avoid clumping, constantly keep the water boiling as the pasta cooks and rinse it immediately with cold water after cooking.