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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is the perfect addition to all your summer barbecues and picnics! Cool, refreshing and light, yet substantial, it can double as a side dish or as a main dish.
I’m a big fan of fresh and flavorful pasta salad recipes, like my Greek Pasta Salad and am also certifiably obsessed with Chicken Caesar Salad. Combining both into one hearty side dish is a tried and true way of pleasing friends and family at all warm weather food gatherings!
This easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad acts as a lovely side dish, or even a main course, and is perfect for hot summer days. Plus, it is easy to customize!
For me, nothing beats a perfect Caesar salad, and I love that the tender chicken and pasta noodles bring a heartiness and turn the classic into a carbohydrate side dish. I like using high-protein pasta noodles made out of chickpeas for a gluten-free option and for added protein.
The homemade Caesar dressing is what really brings the whole thing together! Follow my recipe in the recipe card below for what I consider to be the best Caesar dressing, or make your own version. Or, use store-bought dressing to save time!
Ingredient Notes:
For the Caesar Pasta Salad:
Romaine Lettuce: The backbone of classic Caesar salad is hearts of romaine, also known as romaine lettuce. You can swap it out for a leafy green you prefer over romaine, such as kale, Spring mix, etc.
Pasta Noodles: Pick your favorite pasta noodles for pasta salad! I like using Banza’s gluten-free spiral noodles, which are made out of chickpeas for added protein and some fiber. Other pasta shapes, such as shells, penne noodles, bow tie, and elbow noodles work great too.
Cooked Chicken: You can save time like me and pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken so that the majority of the cooking is already finished for you. Otherwise, grill up some chicken breasts or chicken thighs ahead of time so that they are cool enough to add in once you’re ready to prep the salad.
Parmesan Cheese: Add it to your personal taste. I like adding a lot!
Caesar Dressing Ingredients:
Anchovy Fillets: Not to be confused with roasted anchovies, which present themselves similarly to sardines, cured anchovy fillets are customarily added to Caesar dressing for umami flavor and saltiness. You can replace the anchovies with 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce if you prefer.
Mayonnaise: Brings richness and creamy texture to the dressing. Mayonnaise also contributes to the thickness. The mayo can be replaced with two pasteurized eggs if you prefer the traditional take on Caesar dressing.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brings a brightness to salad dressings that you don’t otherwise get with a basic vinegar. You can add more to your personal taste if you prefer.
Parmesan Cheese: A key ingredient in making Caesar dressing taste like Caesar dressing, parmesan cheese adds its unbeatable flavor and richness to the dressing. I like using shaved parmesan cheese, but grated parmesan cheese works great too.
Fresh Garlic: A couple fresh garlic cloves go a long way in contributing to that classic Caesar flavor.
Dijon Mustard: While this ingredient is optional, it brings tangy flavor and another layer of flavor to enrich the experience.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Brings all of the ingredients together into one amazing creamy dressing. You can also use avocado oil if you prefer.
Salt and Black Pepper: Season the salad dressing to taste using sea salt and black pepper.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add other fresh vegetables, like fresh cherry tomatoes, raw broccoli, red onion, carrots, red bell pepper, etc.
- For a little crunch, add roasted almonds or pine nuts. Crunchy croutons work great too!
- A few strips of cooked crispy bacon adds a fun twist!
- Skip the chicken if you’re looking for a lighter side dish and intend to serve it alongside a main entree.
- Swap the chicken for grilled salmon or broiled salmon.
- If you’re making your own chicken, consider making my Grilled Chicken Thighs or my Grilled Chicken Breasts.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad:
Add all of the ingredients for the Caesar dressing to a blender or a food processor and blend until everything is combined and mostly smooth. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. For me, this requires 6-8 minutes in boiling water, until they are soft but still al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander, rinse with cool water, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chop the crisp romaine lettuce and transfer it to a large bowl along with the chopped cooked chicken, cooked and cooled pasta noodles, and parmesan cheese.
Add in your desired amount of creamy Caesar dressing and toss everything well until it is well coated. Taste the salad for flavor and add more dressing, parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and/or sea salt to your personal taste.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: This pasta salad is best when served within three hours at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
Recipe Tips
- This salad is best when served fresh, so I recommend preparing it at the time you intend to serve it.
- The dressing and pasta can be prepared ahead of time, but the salad should not be dressed until just before serving.
- If you plan on preparing the chicken from scratch, that step can also be performed ahead of time.
I love the idea of using this recipe for meal prep, making each individual component then tossing everything together when you’re ready to eat. The pasta, chicken, and creamy dressing can all be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
Enjoy it for a weeknight meal or at your next backyard BBQ!
If you’re looking for more refreshing salad recipes to enjoy this summer, also try out some of my personal favorites!
More Salad Recipes:
- Blueberry Avocado Sunflower Seed Salad
- Crispy Salmon Salad
- Thai Chicken Chopped Salad
- Italian Salad
- Crunchy Kale Salad
- The Best Broccoli Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ounces romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup uncooked spiral pasta noodles
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken, chopped
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese, grated, to taste
Caesar Salad Dressing:
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4-6 anchovies
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 tsp dijon mustard, optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the Caesar dressing to a blender or a food processor and blend until everything is combined and mostly smooth. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. For me, this requires 6-8 minutes in boiling water, until they are soft but still al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander, rinse with cool water, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Chop the crisp romaine lettuce and transfer it to a large bowl along with the chopped cooked chicken, cooked and cooled pasta noodles, and parmesan cheese.
- Add in your desired amount of creamy Caesar dressing and toss everything well until it is well coated. Taste the salad for flavor and add more dressing, parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and/or sea salt to your personal taste.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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