Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a recipe you will thank me for.  I mean it is DELISH! 
My adorable neighbor Brittany brought some by just a couple of weeks ago and I fell in love.  In fact, I obsessed about it for days, I talked about it, I might have even dreamed about it. Brittany gave me the recipe link, and I started right in trying to feed my need (ha).  I have made this recipe several times already, and EVERY time, it is THE hit at the party or event I've taken it to.
It's very simple to make, and the ingredient list is easy too, plus this dish earns bonus points because it goes together in a jiffy.
One note;  be sure to give yourself extra time to allow the salad to chill and soak up the dressing, at least 4-5 hours before serving, and the salad is even better the next day!

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

Dressing:

1/4 c. sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. soy sauce

1/3 c. rice vinegar

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. ginger, fresh or ground

1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large bottle with a tight fighting lid, combine all the ingredients, seal, and shake until everything is incorporated.

  Salad:

1 (16 oz.) package rotini, bow tie, or other pasta.

3 c. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 c. chopped green onion

Cook pasta according to package directions until BARELY al dente, the pasta will continue to soften as it is chilled and soaks up the dressing, so you don't want it to be too soggy.
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water until the pasta is no longer warm  Let cool completely. Once it is cooled, you may need to give it a very quick rinse to make sure the pasta isn't sticking together, then drain very well.
In a large mixing bowl place the cooked pasta, chicken, cilantro and green onion.  Give your dressing another good shaking up and pour over the pasta mix.  Stir until ALL of the pasta mix has been coated with the dressing.  Cover.  Place in the fridge to chill.  At this stage the dressing will not be absorbed and quite a bit will sit in the  bottom of the mixing bowl.  Occasionally stir the pasta salad and the dressing will eventually all be soaked in. Don't skip this step, it makes all the difference!

Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and chopped cilantro before serving if desired.

Note:  I am not a big lover of cilantro, so I split the 1/3 cup measurement that the recipe calls for and used flat leaf parsley that I had chopped up in combo with the cilantro.
Also, the original recipe explains how to toast the sesame seeds, but I skipped that step and bought them already toasted!  Check with your local bakery, because they will often sell you a larger quantity for less money than the seeds you find in the spice isle.

Recipe Source:  ~BRITTANY DAW~, via AllRecipes.com