Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
It’s a pasta salad pseudo-masquerading as a green salad, and it’s my new favorite meal for lunch or dinner.
Summer means so many things to me— flip flops every day, afternoons by the pool, and family road trips. It also means pasta salad at least once a week.
I love that I can make pasta salad earlier in the day before it gets too hot (and before I’m worn out from summer fun) and stash it in the fridge till dinner time. I also love their great flavor and flexibility.
Every week the pasta salad is different depending on what is in the fridge, but since stumbling on this chicken Caesar pasta salad I think I have a new favorite go-to for the season. It’s part green salad, part pasta salad so I don’t feel so bad having an extra large portion. It’s light, familiar and oh-so-simple to put together.
Tip: Why you shouldn’t rinse cooked pasta
Rinsing cooked pasta washes away all of the starches that help bind the pasta to its sauce, and also somewhat diminishes flavor and texture. So don’t do it! If you usually rinse pasta as a way to cool it down quickly for pasta salad, try this instead— toss hot cooked pasta with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan. It will be cool and sticky-free in no time.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (225 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium cooked chicken breasts , chopped
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce , chopped
- ⅓ - ½ cup bottled Caesar salad dressing , to taste (80-120 grams)
- ½ medium onion , thinly sliced
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (50 grams)
- 2 cups croutons (60 grams)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil. Set aside to cool to room temp.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, chopped chicken, and lettuce with the Caesar salad dressing. Add the sliced onions, parmesan cheese and croutons. Serve immediately or within 1 hour.
I’m all about pasta salads during this time of the year. This one looks amazing, light and flavorful at the same time! Plus, I didn’t know I shouldn’t rinse cooked pasta to cool it down quickly! That’s what I’ve always done when it comes to pasta salads! Can’t wait to try out your tip instead and see how it turns out.
Just my sort of salad! Thanks for sharing!
I made a similar pasta salad for a summer dinner party I had last year and it was a huge hit. Nothing better than adding pasta to a green salad… Especially a Caesar one 🙂
This was so good! I simmered two chicken breast quarters with celery, carrot, and fresh herbs. I also put feta cheese on the table to add if desired. Also added a little garlic.
This sounds like a perfect summer meal!