Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I fell in love with Caesar salad. I think it was the anchovies that weirded me out (you’ve probably noticed the lack of seafood here on LMS). But then I actually ordered it one day and it’s been a favorite ever since. This version is makes a great meal or side dish. It’s loaded with crisp romaine, pasta, herbed chicken, ripe cherry tomatoes and lots of cheese!

At first I was a little unsure of the salad/pasta combo, but I have to say, I love it! We make this salad all of the time and it always gets devoured. To start, you’re going to need 6 cups of chopped romaine, a full pound of pasta cooked and cooled (I generally use fusilli, mini penne or bowties), a handful of cherry tomatoes, lots of parmesan cheese and chopped grilled chicken.

For the chicken, we usually season ours with herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Then we pan-sear it in olive oil until it comes to temperature, which usually leaves it with a nice crisp golden crust. It’s absolutely delicious!

Once those things are ready we whip up the dressing. It’s so easy and we usually have all of the ingredients on hand. P.S. you can totally make the dressing first, toss it in the refrigerator and then dress the salad and it’s ready to go right away. You don’t have to chill the salad before serving. For the the dressing, in a small food processor combine low-fat mayo, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, grated parmesan, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. If you really like the anchovy flavor you can add one to it, but the Worcestershire is enough for me 🙂 Pulse until emulsified- when it gets thick and creamy you know it’s done!

Toss everything together and garnish with additional cheese and black pepper. You’ll be surprised by how filling and flavorful this salad is. It’s great for parties, BBQ’s, lunch or dinner. We’re totally obsessed, and I think you’ll be too!

See how to make this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad in my video below:

5.0 from 5 reviews

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

This tangy, creamy chicken Caesar salad is perfect for summer! It's light, flavorful and filling.

Author: Natalie

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• For the dressing:
• ½ c. low-fat mayonnaise
• ¼ c. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ c. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 
  
• 1 lb. pasta, cooked and cooled
• 1½ c. chicken, cooked, cubed and cooled
• 1 c. ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 c. romaine, chopped
• ½ c. grated parmesan cheese
• ½ c. shaved parmesan cheese
• pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Directions

1. In a small food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing. Process until smooth and creamy.
2. To make the salad, in a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, tomato halves, lettuce, parmesan, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

-I personally prever a less prominent anchovy flavor, but if you want it a little stronger, add a rinsed and dried anchovy fillet to the food processor when making the dressing.
-This salad keeps best for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.


Recipe source: adapted from Kitchen Confidence

3.3.3077