Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

5 from 6 votes

This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combines crisp romaine, spiral pasta, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, and toasty croutons with creamy Caesar dressing. It’s an easy make-ahead option for potlucks, barbecues, or a quick dinner.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Pasta, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 383kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

1 pound sprial pasta like fusilli or rotini pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ pound boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breast
2 teaspoons garlic pepper
1 lemon halved
2 cups romaine lettuce well chopped
1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish (grated or shaved)
⅓ cup Caesar salad dressing store-bought or homemade
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
1½ cups croutons homemade or store-bought

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, according to the package directions for al dente.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over MEDIUM heat. Cook the thin-sliced chicken for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, seasoning with garlic pepper as it cooks. When the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a cutting board. Chop the chicken into small bite-size pieces and squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the top. Allow the chicken to cool while prepping the salad ingredients.
Once the pasta has finished cooking, immediately transfer it to a colander and rinse it with cold water until cool to the touch. Drain it well and transfer it to a large bowl.
To the bowl with the cooled pasta, add the cooled chicken, romaine, tomatoes, green onion, basil and Parmesan cheese and toss lightly to combine. Add the Caesar salad dressing and and a little lemon juice, to taste, and toss until the dressing is well incorporated throughout the salad. Season with freshly ground black pepper and the top with the croutons and toss lightly again. Garnish with additional Parmesan and serve.

Notes

Substitution: To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken in place of the boneless, skinless chicken breast and omit the garlic pepper.

Make-Ahead Instructions: This salad can absolutely be made in advance, but it’s best to wait to dress it. Pasta tends to soak up dressing over time, so if you’re prepping ahead, assemble everything as directed but hold off on adding the romaine, dressing, and croutons until just before serving.

Storing Leftovers: Leftovers will keep well for a day or two if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just know that the lettuce and croutons will soften a bit over time. If you’re planning for leftovers, you can leave those out of the portion you're storing and add them in fresh when you're ready to eat.

Nutrition