You always want to control how much dressing a carbohydrate-based salad absorbs. The goal is to dress the salad lightly, not load it down. When using pasta or rice, it's best to dress them when they're chilled (warm pasta or rice absorbs more dressing). Always go the extra step and rinse the surface starch off pasta, rice, and potatoes with cold water just after cooking. That will further minimize the amount of dressing that is absorbed. Rinsing will also keep the pasta from sticking together.