While the pasta water comes to a boil, dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, halve or quarter the tomatoes, dice the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, finely dice the red onion, and chop the spinach into 1/2-inch ribbons. Arrange all prepped vegetables in separate piles on your cutting board—this makes it easy to combine them later without scrambling. I always prep vegetables first so they're ready to go the moment the pasta finishes cooking, keeping everything fresh and preventing the pasta from getting cold.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then rinse it with cold water while tossing gently to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. This cold rinse is essential—it prevents the pasta from continuing to cook and keeps it from clumping together, which is especially important for a salad that sits for a while.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta from Step 2 with all the prepped vegetables from Step 1. Toss everything together gently to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the pasta. The larger bowl gives you plenty of room to work and ensures nothing gets crushed during mixing.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice directly into the bowl with the pasta and vegetables. Add the Italian dressing and oregano, then toss everything together thoroughly, making sure the dressing coats all the pasta and vegetables evenly. I prefer Ken's Steak House dressing for its zesty kick, but any Italian dressing works well. The lemon juice adds brightness and prevents the salad from tasting too heavy.

Gently fold the cottage cheese into the pasta mixture using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, folding rather than stirring to keep the curds intact and maintain that creamy texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring gently to combine. The cottage cheese adds a rich, creamy element without being heavy, and folding rather than mixing keeps those curds visible and appealing in every bite.