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–+ servings
A bowl of pasta salad topped with croutons, sliced vegetables, and grated cheese, with lemon halves, garlic, lettuce, and a small bowl of dressing on the side.
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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.
Course Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Caesar Salad, chicken caesar pasta salad, grilled caesar salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 715kcal
Author Katie Cooksey

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
US Customary - Metric

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.
    A black colander filled with cooked farfalle pasta, surrounded by lemon halves, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves, and romaine lettuce on a light-colored surface.
  • In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and black pepper.
    A glass bowl with olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper, and minced garlic. Surrounding the bowl are romaine lettuce, garlic, a lemon, a lemon juicer, and Parmesan cheese.
  • 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.
    A bowl of marinated chicken strips surrounded by ingredients including garlic, baby romaine lettuce, lemon, mayonnaise, and cheese on a light countertop.
  • 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.
    Grilled, seasoned chicken strips cooking on a black grill pan.

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.)
    A top-down view of a food processor containing creamy dressing. Surrounding it are garlic bulbs, a halved lemon, a whole lemon, and a small lettuce head on a light gray surface.

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.
    A hand pours creamy dressing from a small glass jar over a bowl of salad topped with chicken, cheese, and bacon.

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
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