Fill a large pan half full of water and bring to a boil, add salt and pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. Add the pea pods to the pasta the last minute of cooking. Drain the pasta and pea pods. Rinse with cold water and drain again.
Put the pasta and pea pods in a large bowl, add the melon and loosely mix. In a small bowl combine 1 cup of the poppy seed dressing and the orange peel. Add to the pasta mixture and loosely mix. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
Remove the pasta salad from the refrigerator and check to see if you need to add additional poppy seed dressing, if so add up to an additional 1/2 cup. To serve, gently stir in the strawberries and basil. If desired top with nuts.