While the pasta cooks, you'll get a head start on prep work. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until fully combined and emulsified. Set this dressing aside. On a cutting board, prepare all your vegetables and proteins: finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, cut the salami into 1/2-inch cubes, halve the kalamata olives, and chop the fresh parsley. I like to keep the mozzarella balls separate until the very end so they stay firm and don't get crushed by mixing.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini or fusilli for about 10 minutes, or until it's tender but still has a slight bite—we want it cooked through but not mushy. Drain the pasta in a colander, then rinse it thoroughly with cold water for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently to cool it completely and prevent the starches from sticking. Let it drain well for a minute before transferring it to your large mixing bowl.

Pour the dressing from Step 1 over the cooled pasta and stir thoroughly to coat every piece evenly—this is important because the warm pasta will absorb the dressing flavors better. Now add the diced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, and the halved kalamata olives, folding everything together gently but completely. The dressing will continue to coat all the vegetables as you mix. I find that folding rather than aggressively stirring helps keep the vegetables and pasta intact and looking fresh.

Gently fold in the salami cubes and the fresh chopped parsley, distributing them evenly throughout the salad. Finally, add the mozzarella balls and fold them in very gently—just a few turns to combine without crushing them. The salad is now complete and ready for chilling.

Transfer the salad to the refrigerator and chill for 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows all the flavors to meld together and makes the salad more refreshing. Give it a gentle stir just before serving to redistribute any dressing that may have settled. The salad can be made a few hours ahead and chilled longer if needed, though I prefer to serve it within 2-3 hours for the best texture and flavor.