Pleasing Pasta Salad, with Twists

  Yesterday, I made pasta salad. It was a little different, as I played with my usual recipe... and it was so delicious that I thought I'd share... the recipe that is.
  Pasta salad is often thought of as a summer dish, but that's okay because here in Hawaii, it feels just like summer year-round. For example, I prepared this pasta salad after I came in from my walk. I had to cut my walk a little short because it was just too sunny and I didn't have on sunblock.
  This recipe is for a cold pasta salad. You get an earthy, Mediterranean flavor in every bite.

Dressing Ingredients:
   1/2 c. olive oil (I added a bit more)
   1/2 c. red wine vinegar
   1.5 tsp EACH garlic powder, dried basil, & dried oregano (I also tossed in some thyme)
   3/4 tsp EACH ground black pepper and white sugar

Salad Ingredients:
   2.5 c. cooked elbow macaroni (any noodles will do - I like to use spirals, and the whole box - note that this is part of the "twist" in my pasta salad... tee he he)
   3 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
   3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese (I use a little extra)
   1/2 c. chopped onions (I use red)
   3/4 c. sliced pepperoni sausage, cut (I use pizza topping pepperoni, cut into fourths)
    * any fresh veggies will do - think Greek (cherry tomatoes, black olives, cucumbers, etc.) - whatever you have or really like. I put tomatoes in Eric's and gave him the option of olives. I also like to include red, green, or yellow bell peppers - we were just out when I made this. They add a bit of color, in addition to a little more zesty taste.

WHAT YOU DO:
   In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Rinse it under cold water and drain.
  While pasta is cooking, cut the vegetables and make the dressing.
  To make the dressing - whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, black pepper, sugar, and thyme. Set it aside until you finish the pasta.
  In a large bowl - pour the dressing over the pasta, adding the vegetables and pepperoni. Toss until evenly coated. (I add the cheese last and then mix one more time.)
  Cover, chill at least 2 hours (overnight is even better, if you can get it to last that long without anyone eating it all), serve it cold, and ENJOY.

 FOR DINNER:
   I cooked up some chicken breasts with a little butter, sliced mushrooms, and chopped onions. (salt & pepper to taste) I served the chicken with the above pasta salad, fresh purple grapes, and steamed broccoli. This was a delicious dinner!

Note: I'd post a picture... but this food was so delicious it all seemed to "disappear" too quickly...

Challenge: Try my new fav. pasta salad recipe sometime this week... OR let me know how you play with the basic pasta salad recipe... How do you make it your own?