Begin by washing and dicing one large cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, halving or quartering 1.5 cups of tomatoes, and dicing one yellow bell pepper similarly. Finely chop 1/4 cup of red onion and chop 1/2 cup of spinach into 1/2-inch ribbons. Place all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add 14 oz of rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions, typically around 8–10 minutes, until it reaches an al dente texture. After cooking, quickly drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it under cold water.

Once the pasta has cooled, add it to the large bowl with the prepped vegetables. Gently toss the mixture to combine all the ingredients evenly.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the pasta and vegetable mixture, then pour in 1/2 cup of Italian dressing and sprinkle a pinch of oregano. Gently toss everything together until well-coated.

Add 1.5 cups of cottage cheese to the salad mixture. Using a spatula, fold the cottage cheese gently into the salad.

Transfer the salad to an airtight container or cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.