Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Everything you love about a Chicken Caesar Salad and a delicious creamy pasta salad in one!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 308kcal
Equipment
- cutting board
- meat tenderizer or rolling pin optional
- instant read thermometer optional
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 1/4 cup Caesar Dressing
- 1 lb farfalle pasta or another favorite!
- 1 1/2 cups croutons about 2.5 oz
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese divided, shredded and shaved
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prep Pasta: Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat to bring to a boil.
- Prep Chicken: Slice chicken breasts in half. Add salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning to a small bowl and mix. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning.
- Cook Pasta: Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. For farfalle, 10 minutes. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Cook Chicken: Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165℉. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes, and then cut into cubes.
- Prep Croutons: Add the croutons to a cutting board and cover lightly with plastic wrap, or add croutons to a plastic bag. Use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to gently break up the croutons into smaller sized pieces.
- Assemble: In a large mixing bowl, add pasta, chicken, 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, and lettuce. Mix well. Add Caesar dressing and mix again. Add the croutons and give a final mix.
- Final Touch: Finish the salad with Parmesan cheese shavings and a couple of grinds from a pepper grinder.
- Serve: Serve and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Make Ahead
This is a great pasta salad to make ahead, but not fully assemble until about an hour or two before serving. Individually prep the ingredients up to a day in advance and then store in the fridge for quick and easy assembly when needed.
Storage
Once assembled, this salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Dressing Level
This pasta salad is dressed on the lighter side. 1 1/4 cup of the dressing ensures that everything is nice and lightly dressed, but for a much creamier pasta salad, add another 1/4-1/3 cup of dressing.
Parmesan Cheese: You'll want shredded and shaved for this recipe. Preshredded or shaved is ok for this one since you won't be melting it, but it's easier to get both from one block instead of buying both shredded and shaved.
Caesar Dressing: This recipe calls for one batch of my homemade Caesar Dressing From Scratch, but of course you use your favorite store bought brand, too.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1031mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2132IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg
