Whip up a 20-minute meal in-a-bowl with a refreshing recipe for Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad starring DIY dressing.
Chicken Caesar salad, meet pasta salad. Pasta salad, meet chicken Caesar salad.
Now that everyone’s acquainted, allow me to introduce you to the greatest matrimony since peanut butter and jelly: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.
Look at all that goodness in a bowl!
Crisp Romaine lettuce, store-bought rotisserie chicken (time-saver of the century!), crunchy croutons, Parmesan cheese shavings and rotini noodles, all tossed in a creamy homemade Caesar salad dressing.
The anchovy paste is totally optional, although it does give this Caesar its characteristic flavor oomph. But the real secret to the best DIY Caesar salad is the addition of grated Parmesan cheese whisked right into the dressing.
I love dicing up a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this a complete meal, but you could easily leave out the poultry to make this the ultimate side salad for potlucks, casual weeknight spreads or weekend bashes.
Roasted salmon, grilled shrimp or my personal fave, skirt steak, would also be welcome additions.
To save a few more minutes (from this 20-minute dish!), whip up the dressing and salad separately then stash them in the fridge. When ready to serve, toss ’em together and grab the forks.
I’m no stranger to stellar pasta salads, but this one just gave my Greek Pasta Salad a run for its money on my list of all-time faves!
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Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
For the pasta salad:
- 8 oz. uncooked pasta, such as rotini or penne
- 2 hearts of Romaine
- Shredded rotisserie chicken or chopped chicken breasts
- Croutons (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, minced garlic and anchovy paste until well combined. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and ¼ teaspoon pepper then set the dressing aside while you make the salad.
Make the pasta salad:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl.
- Cut the Romaine hearts into 1-inch pieces then add them and your protein of choice to the bowl with the pasta.
- Add the prepared dressing and toss to combine. Add the croutons (optional) and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- For a delicious twist, use cheesy tortellini!
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Loved this recipe AND so did my husband! Easy and delicious! I love anchovies so I cut up a few extra anchovies and added them to my salad. I will definitely be making this again!
Thrilled you both enjoyed it, Kate!
We spent the last 10 days in Mexico & what was really craving when we got home was a Caesar salad. This salad hit the spot–and was a meal in itself! It couldn’t have been any easier to prepare & with plenty of dressing! Thank you!
Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe… but what is the serving size for the calorie count?
Hi Andrea! The nutritional info is an estimation and it’s 277cal/serving and there are 10 servings in this recipe.
Hi, I am not able to have mayonnaise, is there anything I can substitute it for?
Hi Layla! If you can have yogurt, that’s the perfect swap! Use the exact same amount of plain Greek or regular yogurt. Enjoy!
I have taken this salad to at least 3 different pot luck dinners and it was always devoured..The homemade dressing is easy to make and is so delicious..
Glad you enjoyed it, Stella!
Do you really need to add the anchovy paste, seeing that’s is only a small amount. I don’t think I would use it for anything else and don’t really have the money to spend on it… is there something else I can use?
It’s totally optional, Georgene!
My daughter made this recipe whilst we were away caravaning with them and we loved it.
So I made it at home my self with a bit of extras. I adder Some red capsicum ,celery and Some cherry tomaten as we love veggie. It was a great succes. Now to remember for next time.
So glad you all enjoyed it, Ellen!
Kelly,
The last 4 recipes pI’ve ordered have downloaded this recipe for pasta salad. Am I missing something?
Hi Kathy – Apologies but I don’t understand the question. We don’t have recipes for order.
About how much protein do you add to the salad?
Totally depends on your personal preference, but you can start at 6 oz. per person.
I made this for my lunch buddies at work. I didn’t alter the recipe at all, and it came out great. I prepared everything and put it over the romaine in the morning. We ate the leftovers the next day, and they were great – it just needed more dressing.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I tripled the recipe for a get together. I used tortellini for the pasta. I added halved cherry tomatoes. I made extra dressing for those who wanted to add more. I used half Greek yogurt and half mayo in the dressing. Followed the recipe with above editions. It is excellent. I did make it a couple days ahead. But I added the lettuce right before serving. Delicious and this is going in my regular rotation.
So glad you enjoyed it, Pamela!
Cheesy Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad looks so very delicious and interesting. I’ll be making this soon. My son is going to love it. Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe.
Enjoy!
This was a delicious, easy-to-make, one-bowl meal for my husband and me. So light, refreshing, and filling. It was perfect after working in the heat all day. My only suggestion would be to eat it immediately after you make it so the hearts of Romaine stay crunchy. He ate it immediately, I ate it after it had been in the frig for about an hour. The taste was still amazing, but I prefer my lettuce on the crispier side. Thank you so much for this recipe; it will be in our summer rotation moving forward.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Fran!