1. 1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. This typically takes 10-12 minutes. You want the pasta to be tender but still have a slight bite.

2. 2. Drain and cool the pasta: Once cooked, drain the pasta thoroughly in a colander. Rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly. This prevents the pasta from becoming mushy and ensures it’s ready for the cold dressing. Let it drain well.

3. 3. Prepare the creamy dressing: While the pasta cooks, combine the cottage cheese, milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps of cottage cheese remaining. Season the dressing with salt and black pepper to your taste.

4. 4. Chop the vegetables: Wash and prepare your vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, dice the bell pepper, and finely dice the red onion. Chop the fresh parsley.

5. 5. Combine ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled, drained pasta, the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, and finely diced red onion.

6. 6. Dress the salad: Pour the creamy cottage cheese dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Add the chopped fresh parsley.

7. 7. Toss to coat: Gently toss all the ingredients together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing. Make sure everything is well combined.

8. 8. Chill before serving: For the best flavor and texture, cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.