Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad with Garlicky Parmesan Dressing
By Emma Collins
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Servings
10
For a 10-serving prepared-ahead dish, the pasta and dressing for this recipe can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated until serving time. Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad has rotini pasta, Romaine lettuce, chicken, and croutons mixed with a Parmesan cream dressing seasoned with garlic.
The salad dressing is made with Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, chopped garlic, and anchovy paste, optional. Parmesan cheese is added to the dressing for flavor and to help it stick to the pasta. Rotini is suggested as a pasta type to pair with the salad, it holds the dressing well. Rotisserie chicken can be served with the salad as a complete meal with no extra cooking required.
Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and add to a large serving bowl. The salad is ready to eat when the dressing is well coated on the pasta spirals and Romaine leaves are separate and crisp. A common problem with this salad is pre-mixing it, which makes the Romaine leaves and croutons soft.
Serve immediately to make croutons or store in the refrigerator to serve later. Set aside some croutons with leftovers to serve as part of the salad. Leave off the chicken if you want to serve this salad at other gatherings, like barbecues or potluck meals, as a side dish.
Why this recipe works
- Make the pasta and Caesar dressing ahead of time. Combine with Romaine and croutons near serving time to give guests a crisp Caesar salad with fresh croutons.
- Serves 10 from a single bowl. This recipe is useful for preparing several lunches or salads for picnics and other events.
- Precooked rotisserie chicken saves food preparation time by offering a preprepared ingredient that can be added to a salad to make a full meal without including another protein source.
- The dressing can be made and refrigerated separately to prepare several batches of Parmesan dressing without making the other salad ingredients soggy.
- Leftovers can be helpful if the croutons are separated from the other salad ingredients. The croutons won't drink up salad dressing in the refrigerator and can be included later.
- Skipping chicken means the prepared salad can be served as a side dish that can be served in portions along with other weeknight and grilled entrees.
Ingredients
- •2 tsp Dijon mustard
- •2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- •2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- •¾ cup mayonnaise
- •2 tsp minced garlic
- •1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
- •⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- •¼ tsp pepper
- •8 oz uncooked pasta, such as rotini or penne
- •2 hearts Romaine
- •shredded rotisserie chicken or chopped chicken breasts
- •croutons (optional)
- •Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- •salt (for boiling water)
Instructions
- 1
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, minced garlic and anchovy paste until well combined.
- 2
Stir the grated Parmesan cheese and pepper into the dressing, then set it aside.
- 3
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 4
Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- 5
Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl.
- 6
Cut the Romaine hearts into 1-inch pieces.
- 7
Add the Romaine and protein of choice to the bowl with the pasta.
- 8
Add the prepared dressing and toss to combine.
- 9
Add the croutons, if using, and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
- 10
Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
277
Protein
15g
Fat
15g
Carbs
18g
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