California Pasta Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta (spiral pasta)
2 small zucchini, ends removed, chopped
1 large cucumber, ends removed, seeded, chopped
2 medium bell peppers, stems removed, seeded, chopped (I use 1 orange and 1 yellow for color)
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
1 (10 ounce) can black olives, drained well and chopped (optional(kids don't like, so I omit)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, partially drained
1/3 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole celery seed
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing (we prefer Kraft Zesty Italian)

Preparation

Boil rotini. (Package directions will indicate 8-10 minutes. My family thinks 'al dente' translates to 'raw', so I cook the pasta 4 or 5 minutes longer, until it tastes tender.).
Drain pasta; rinse well with cold water.
In a very, very large bowl, mix cooled pasta with zucchini, cucumber, sweet peppers, onion and olives, if desired.
Stir in tomatoes. (I use a slotted spoon. That way, you get a little juice, but not an overwhelming amount. If fresh ones are in season, even better, of course!)
In a small bowl, mix grated cheese with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, celery seeds, paprika and garlic powder.
Sprinkle seasoning mixture over pasta; stir well.
Pour Italian dressing over all, stirring well.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. (Actually, I find this hits its' 'peak' at 48 hours. Stays good for several days after that, but finally begins to get mushy.).