Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipes
Tender pasta, juicy chicken, crisp romaine, and a tangy Caesar dressing come together for a hearty, crowd-pleasing pasta salad you can make in under 30 minutes.
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Servings:
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz dry rotini pasta or penne
- 1 lb cooked chicken breast, diced grilled or rotisserie
- 6 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
- 0.75 cup Caesar dressing use your favorite bottled or homemade
- 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1.5 cup croutons
- 1.5 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp anchovy paste optional, boosts classic Caesar flavor
- 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 0.75 tsp kosher salt to taste
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped optional
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain. Rinse under cold water to cool, shake dry, and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- While the pasta cooks, chop the romaine, dice the cooked chicken, halve the tomatoes, and grate the Parmesan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Caesar dressing, lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Add the cooled pasta and diced chicken to the bowl and toss until well coated with the dressing.
- Fold in the romaine and cherry tomatoes. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Sprinkle in the Parmesan and parsley and gently toss to combine.
- Just before serving, add the croutons and toss lightly so they stay crunchy.
- Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Add more dressing or lemon to taste if desired.
Notes
For best texture, add croutons just before serving and keep leftover salad refrigerated for up to 2 days. If making ahead, wait to toss in the romaine until right before eating.