Recipe Notes

-Teriyaki Pasta Salad can be made with or without the chicken.
-For make ahead:
Cook the pasta, and toss with sauce as directed. Let sit until cool, then pack in a Ziplock bag with all air squeezed out.
Cook the chicken, let cool, chop and bag.
Chop the carrots and bag. Same with the cucumbers.
Leave the grape tomatoes on the counter, tomatoes are best when not refrigerated. Whip up the dressing.
It is important to bag all of the ingredients separately to keep fresh. When ready to serve, toss all ingredients together, add chopped lettuce (bagged is fine) grape tomatoes and well shaken dressing, a little at a time. I often don't use all of the dressing.
Sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds.
You can make the salad and place in a bowl for serving and refrigerate several hours before serving.
If you are making the salad ahead, use a bagged spinach or romaine that will stand up to a few hours of sitting in a bowl with dressing. Bagged lettuce is dried until there almost no moisture remains in the leaves, which is good and bad. For making salads that have to sit for a while, the greens will not wilt as easily as loose leaf lettuce or spinach.