Description
This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combines the classic flavors of Caesar dressing with hearty penne pasta, grilled chicken, fresh romaine lettuce, and crunchy croutons. Perfect for a light lunch or a flavorful side dish, this salad is tossed with a creamy anchovy-based dressing and finished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dressing:
- 5 anchovy fillets, canned in oil (drained)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 10 ounces dry penne pasta
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (preferably romaine hearts or the center portion)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled, cooled, then chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups croutons, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, to thin as needed
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside to cool. Drain pasta then transfer to an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper and let cool completely.
- Make the dressing: Mince anchovies and place in a medium mixing bowl; mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, parmesan, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and salt and black pepper to taste. Whisk to blend. Chill in fridge until ready to use.
- Toss salad and dressing: Add cooled pasta, lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, and parsley to a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat, thinning with pasta water as needed since the dressing will thicken as it sits.
- Add croutons and parmesan: Add croutons and parmesan cheese to the salad and toss a few times to incorporate.
Notes
- Serve within a few hours of preparing as the lettuce will start to wilt; keep chilled.
- You can make the pasta salad in advance but wait to add the croutons and lettuce until serving.
- Set aside 1/4 cup of dressing in the fridge to toss with lettuce before adding it to the salad for freshness.
- Thin the pasta salad with a little reserved pasta water the next day before adding the lettuce and croutons.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
