Pasta Salad

Method

1. boil11 min
   very salted water, 1-2 minutes PAST the package — the cold rule
   the counterintuitive instruction that separates picnic-good from chewy: pasta destined for the refrigerator cooks a step softer than pasta for the plate, because chilling firms starch — al dente today is undercooked tomorrow; drained and spread on a sheet to cool WITHOUT rinsing away the starch the dressing needs
2. toss3 min
   half the dressing on warm pasta
   the first dressing while the pasta is still warm — warm pasta absorbs; cold pasta wears. This split-dressing move is the entry's technique headline and works on every cold pasta and potato salad ever made
3. fold5 min
   vegetables + olives + mozzarella + salt + pepper
   everything through the cooled base — then refrigerated at least an hour and up to a day, which is not a compromise but the design: this dish exists because it improves unattended while everything else demands attention
4. season3 min
   at serving: remaining dressing + basil + cheese, re-tasted
   the second dressing to wake the surface, torn basil and grated cheese over, and salt re-checked — cold mutes seasoning, so the salad that tasted right yesterday needs the adjustment today; the double-dress and re-salt are why this one gets eaten first at the potluck