Delicious Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad with fresh ingredients and dressing

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

ByOlivia Carter
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Why Make This Recipe

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a delicious blend of flavors and textures that everyone will love. It combines the classic taste of a Caesar salad with hearty pasta and tender chicken, making it perfect for lunch, dinner, or a picnic. This recipe is easy to prepare and is a great way to enjoy a complete meal in one bowl. Whether you’re serving a crowd or just feeding your family, this dish is sure to please.

How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz rotini pasta
  • 1 lb grilled chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 10 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1½ cups Caesar dressing
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente pasta.
  3. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Set it aside to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon, croutons, and parmesan cheese.
  5. Add the cooled pasta and Caesar dressing to the bowl. Toss everything to coat well.
  6. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

How to Serve Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Serve the Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad in large bowls. You can add more parmesan cheese on top for extra flavor. This salad is great as a main dish or a side. It’s also a wonderful option for potlucks or BBQs, as it’s easy to transport and serve cold.

How to Store Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Store any leftover Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 3 days. If the salad starts to get soggy, you can add a bit more Caesar dressing before serving to refresh it.

Tips to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

  1. For extra flavor, marinate the chicken in Caesar dressing before grilling.
  2. You can use any pasta shape you like; fusilli, penne, or farfalle work well.
  3. If you prefer a lighter version, you can use grilled shrimp or omit the bacon.
  4. Adding vegetables like cucumbers or bell peppers can add color and crunch.

Variation

For a vegetarian version, you can substitute the chicken with chickpeas and replace bacon with crunchy chickpea snacks. This will keep the protein while making it meat-free.

FAQs

1. Can I use leftover chicken for this recipe?
Yes! Leftover rotisserie chicken works great in this salad.

2. Is this salad gluten-free?
To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and check the Caesar dressing for gluten.

3. Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time. Just mix them together right before serving to keep everything fresh.

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

  • Author: admin
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: None
Print Recipe

Description

A delicious blend of flavors combining classic Caesar salad with hearty pasta and tender chicken, perfect for lunch, dinner, or picnics.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz rotini pasta
  • 1 lb grilled chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 10 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1½ cups Caesar dressing
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente pasta.
  3. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Set it aside to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon, croutons, and parmesan cheese.
  5. Add the cooled pasta and Caesar dressing to the bowl. Toss everything to coat well.
  6. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

For extra flavor, marinate the chicken in Caesar dressing before grilling. You can use any pasta shape you like; fusilli, penne, or farfalle work well.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Mixing
  • Cuisine: American

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Hi, I’m Olivia Carter. I’m 41 years old, born in Nashville, Tennessee, and now living in Denver, Colorado, where the mountains are as much a part of my inspiration as the markets I shop from. My kitchen is my safe place it smells of herbs, wood smoke, and sometimes just-baked bread cooling on the counter.

I didn’t grow up with professional chefs around me just hardworking parents and a grandmother who believed that love always started with a pot on the stove. She taught me how to make biscuits without a recipe, how to know when cornbread is ready just by the sound it makes, and how to never waste a single vegetable from the garden. Those lessons stuck with me more than anything I ever read in a cookbook.

My path here wasn’t simple. I started as a server, sneaking glances into the kitchen whenever I could. Eventually, I found myself behind the line, sweating through long shifts, burning my fingers, and learning faster than I thought possible. Later, I studied culinary arts in New York, but I’ve always said the best training came from real kitchens, real mistakes, and real people who pushed me to keep going.

Today, my cooking is rooted in Southern tradition but shaped by everywhere I’ve traveled and everything I’ve tasted. I love the balance of smoky barbecue with bright citrus, the sweetness of honey paired with a kick of chili, and the way fresh herbs can lift even the simplest dish. Food, to me, is about contrast it should surprise you while still feeling like home.

I cook for people who want food that tells a story. I believe meals should connect us to memory, to family, to joy. It’s not about perfection or fancy plating it’s about sitting down, taking a bite, and feeling something.

If you’ve ever laughed around a messy kitchen table, licked barbecue sauce off your fingers, or found comfort in a bowl of soup on a hard day, then you already understand what my cooking is about. Welcome I can’t wait to share it with you.

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