Garden Pasta Salad

We like simple main dish salads on hot days, and this one is perfect for picnics and pot lucks too.   The dressing is so good and easy, even children will eat it…and it lets the simple vegetables shine.  Halve the recipe for family meals.  
We like salads like this with something like hot muffins or fresh yeast rolls, or with anything off the grill.               

Garden Pasta Salad

  12          ounces  uncooked dried rotini (corkscrew or pasta twists) -- (3 cups)

  8            ounces  Cheddar cheese --  (2 cups) cubed

  2            medium  carrots -- (1 cup) shredded or chopped

  1            medium  green bell pepper -- (1/2 cup) chopped

  5            ribs  celery -- (2 cups) chopped

                        Dressing

  1            cup  sugar (I like ½ cup)

     1/2     cup  vinegar -- white or cider

     1/3     cup  vegetable oil

                salt and pepper to taste

Cook rotini according to package directions. Rinse with cold water. Drain.

Combine cooked rotini and all remaining salad ingredients in bowl.

Stir together sugar, vinegar and oil in another bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour dressing over salad; toss until well-coated.

Cover; refrigerate, stirring occasionally, 8 hours or overnight until flavors are blended.

  "12 servings"