Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad

• 8 ounces, weight Tri-color Rotini
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/2 cups Sliced Almonds
• 8 ounces, weight Baby Spinach Leaves
• 1/2 whole English Cucumber, Seeded And Sliced Thin
• 1/2 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced In Strips
• 1/2 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced In Strips
• 3 stalks Celery, Sliced Thin
• 3 whole Carrots, Sliced Thin
• 2 Tablespoons Freshly Snipped Chives
• 6 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
• 12 ounces, weight Strawberries, Rinsed, Hulled And Sliced
• 1 bottle Poppyseed Dressing (16 Fluid Oz Bottle)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse and drain pasta. Set it aside.
2. Meanwhile, put sugar in a heavy bottomed skillet. Heat over medium high heat until sugar begins to melt. Add sliced almonds and stir to coat with melted sugar, toasting the almonds. Stir constantly. Watch carefully, as it burns quickly. Once they are toasted, pour sugared almonds onto a plate and allow to cool while assembling the salad.
3. In a large bowl, layer the spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, celery, carrots, rotini, chives, cheese and strawberries. Break up any large pieces of sugared almonds. Top salad with cooled sugared almonds. Pour half the bottle of dressing over the salad and toss salad to coat evenly. Continue adding dressing to your liking, tossing to coat evenly.
4. Note: This salad can be made up to one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Wait to add sugared almonds and salad dressing until just before serving.

rotini, sugar, almonds, cucumber, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, stalks celery, carrots, freshly snipped chives, mozzarella cheese, weight strawberries, dressing

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/salads/spinach-strawberry-pasta-salad/ (may not work)