Pasta Salad (No Italian Dressing)

Ok, I dislike Italian Dressing (a lot) so, my brother-in-law shared this recipe with me and I loved it so much, I kept it. Not sure where he got it from. I just love the dressing because it is a lot smoother tasting than Italian dressing from the supermarket. Also, this is great for picnics/lunches because it does not contain any mayo and you can leave the cheese out.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  lb pasta, of your choice
• 1  green pepper, chopped
• 1  yellow pepper, chopped
• 1  red pepper, chopped
• 1⁄2 red onion, chopped (optional)
• 2  small fresh mozzarella balls, cut into small pieces
• 2⁄3 cup  oil
• 1⁄3 cup vinegar
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon  italian seasoning (or more, to taste)

Directions

1. Cook, drain, and rinse (with cold water) the pasta.
2. Mix pasta, vegetables, and cheese in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings.
4. Add oil/vinegar mixture to the pasta mixture until the pasta appears well-oiled. You may not need the entire amount however, save it. Many times, if you do not eat the pasta salad right away (or save leftovers in the fridge) you will want to add a little more oil mixture to the pasta - kind of freshens it up.
5. Note: You can add whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. Also works great with roasted vegetables. Also, short noodles work better than long ones - ie: rotini is better than spaghetti - everything gets mixed up a lot better.