Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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If you love Caesar salad and pasta then you are going to love my Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe! Perfect for a pot luck, BBQ or dinner.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Originally, I was going to post a different recipe today but then I made Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad for dinner last night and changed my mind because it was too good not to share!

Caesar Salad is my husband’s favorite salad and I figured as long as I kept the same flavors there, then the pasta salad version would be just as good, plus I wanted to make it more filling and more satisfying as a dinner. Well, everything came together perfectly and we both loved it. The flavor of everything in this complete meal was just awesome! The bacon really took it over the top for me and the extra squirts of lemon juice made the parsley and tomatoes pop as well as adding a little extra zing which I love.

Final Results: I loved it and my husband loved it and we are glad there are plenty of leftovers in the fridge! (So excited for lunch!)This meal is pretty similar to a Chicken Caesar Salad, except it’s made with pasta and a lot less lettuce. I also added in tomatoes and parsley for extra nutrients and color. This pasta salad would be great without the chicken (if you want) and perfect for a potluck or BBQ. I took a few shortcuts by buying pre-grated parmesan cheese and a roasted whole chicken because I was running out of time last night to get dinner on the table. You can roast or grill the chicken yourself to save yourself some money, but I have to say, I love those roasted chickens! They are so convenient! Also, you can also substitute all the pasta for a head of romaine lettuce and once everything is tossed, eat as is or get some tortillas and turn them into chicken caesar salad wraps! TO DIE FOR!

I made my own caesar dressing (recipe below), but you can use your favorite store-bought one-just make sure to add in a little lemon juice because it makes a huge difference. AND, in the photo above, you can see that I toasted some french bread and spread it with garlic basil butter! Never done that before but oh my good gravy! So good. That recipe is below as well.

Happy Weekend Friends!

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

If you love Caesar salad and pasta then you are going to love my Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe! Perfect for a pot luck, BBQ or dinner.
servings 6 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

for the salad-

  • 3/4 lb pasta shortcut like farfalle or rigatoni
  • 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce washed, dried, and chopped
  • 1 lb chicken breasts
  • 10 slices bacon cooked and roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese shaved, optional
  • 1 cup croutons

*for the chicken marinade-

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

for the dressing-

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice juice of about 1 whole lemon
  • 2 whole anchovies** canned, or anchovy paste
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked + more to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and cook pasta according to box instructions for al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and black pepper.
  • Trim chicken breasts of any excess fat and cut into thin strips. Place in bowl with marinade ingredients and set aside while preparing other recipe elements.
  • Preheat indoor or outdoor grill to medium to medium-high heat.
  • Add the chicken to the grill and cook about 1-2 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165° F. Remove chicken from the grill and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

for the dressing-

  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. (You can also whisk all ingredients in a small bowl if you don't have a blender.)

to assemble-

  • Place cooked pasta, romaine, grilled chicken, bacon, parmesan cheese shavings, and croutons in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the caesar dressing and toss to combine well. Season with more freshly cracked black pepper, if desired and serve.

Notes

*You can skip the marinating and grilling of the chicken if you have precooked chicken on hand, either from leftovers, meal prep, or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. 
**If you are allergic to anchovies, you can leave these out of the recipe, but be sure to add salt (to taste). Anchovies have a high salt content, which is why I left salt out of the dressing ingredients. If you think you won’t like the taste, don’t worry – you can’t even tell they’re in there. They just give this dressing the essential umami, salty flavoring.

Nutrition

Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 566mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1.131IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Caesar Salad, chicken caesar pasta salad, grilled caesar salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

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