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A chicken caesar pasta salad in a white bowl being served with wooden spoons.
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5 from 8 votes

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Author: Nikki Lee
Servings: 10 side servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Caesar Pasta Salad Ingredients

  • 8 ounce pasta of choice (rotini pasta used here)
  • 1 pound cooked chicken cubed
  • 4 romaine hearts roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups croutons divided
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese shaved, divided

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add Dressing Ingredients: mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. Mix with a spoon until fully combined. Taste the dressing to see if it needs more lemon juice, or if you like a sweeter dressing, you can add ¼ teaspoon of white granulated sugar. Place the dressing in the fridge.
  • Cook the pasta according to the package ingredients. Approximately 10-12 minutes.
  • While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken, lettuce, and tomatoes and shave the parmesan cheese.
  • Drain the pasta with cool water until the pasta is cooled.
  • Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and stir the dressing. To the bowl, add the drained pasta, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, 1 cup croutons, and 3/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese. 
  • Use a spoon or tongs to incorporate the dressing throughout the salad.
  • Top with the remainder of the croutons and parmesan cheese.

Notes

10 side servings or 4 meal-sized servings. Nutrition calculations based on side servings.
Make Ahead: The chicken can be cooked, or grab a rotisserie chicken, and all the ingredients can be chopped beforehand. Wait to add the dressing until ready to serve.
Storage: This pasta salad is best when served fresh. When storing leftovers, cover them with foil or plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. It will hold up for a day or two.
For Meal Prep, you can combine the pasta salad without the lettuce. Store the lettuce separately until ready to enjoy.
TIPS:
    • I omitted adding salt, as the anchovy paste, mayonnaise, and cheese provide plenty of salt. Taste the dressing and adjust it to your liking. If you'd like more salt I suggest starting with adding ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of salt to the dressing.
    • This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for a large crowd. Just adjust the serving size in the recipe card for adjusted ingredient amounts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4162IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 2mg