Mmmm... pasta salad

I basically threw this salad together with odds and ends I already had in the pantry/fridge. Despite the lack of premeditation, the flavors melded really nicely so I thought I'd share.

Pasta Salad with Chicken and Vegetables

rotini (but really any pasta will do), cooked, drained and cooled to at least room temp
shredded rotisserie chicken (I used Pio Pio's excellent chicken for extra oomph)
chopped red pepper
chopped celery
julienned sundried tomatoes in oil (in a jar, from Trader Joe's)
basic vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Ludicrously easy to prepare - just throw everything together in a proportion you find pleasing. (Though you don't want to overdo it with meat and veg - it's a pasta salad, not a chicken salad - and you don't want to drown it in vinaigrette). It can be easily scaled to feed any number of people.

The dressing will hold up well without refrigeration so you can safely bring it to a picnic. It will also keep at least a day in the fridge if it's been dressed, longer if you keep the dressing separate.

Goes without saying that you can add or substitute ingredients at will. I happen to like the color from the peppers and the crunch from the celery. They're both fairly watery, bland vegetables so the intense bursts of flavor from the sundried tomatoes are nice. Meat-tooth that I am, I always want to put animal protein in but you can substitute some kind of cheese (feta, etc.) for the chicken if you have vegetarians.

Enjoy!