This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is light, yet hearty, with a tasty combination of crunchy greens, juicy chicken, and tender pasta, all folded together in a creamy homemade Caesar dressing. It’s perfect any time of year, and especially welcome at summertime barbecues and potlucks. Plus, it’s so easy to make!
This is the recipe my family is currently obsessed with >>> Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad! I combined everything we love about Caesar salad (including the most delicious creamy Caesar dressing) with bites of juicy chicken and tender pasta. It’s no wonder this recipe is on regular repeat around here! We mostly enjoy this as a main entree, all on its own – but it also makes for a great side salad as part of a larger meal…spring, summer, fall, or winter!
Why We Love This Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy salad recipe is destined for an eternity of meals around here, just like our beloved strawberry salad, Italian chopped salad, and winter apple salad. Here’s why it ranks so high on our repeat list, and why we know you’ll love it, too!
- Light yet hearty. With a mix of fresh lettuce, pasta, and protein-rich chicken, all tied together in a garlicky, lemony Caesar dressing, this dish is the perfect one-bowl dinner. I like that it’s light enough for spring & summer meals and potlucks, yet hearty enough to serve when the snow’s flying!
- Adaptable. You can change things up to better fit your own family’s tastes. Toss in some arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, or thin slices of red onion. Grill up some steaks and serve this as a Caesar pasta salad, minus the chicken. For more ideas, see the Tips & Variations section lower down in this post.
- FUN and flavorful! But the #1 reason why my family loves this salad is this: It’s just plain FUN + delicious through and through. It’s like your favorite Caesar salad and cold pasta salad combined in one big happy bowl!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need for this salad. For the exact ingredient amounts, scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Caesar dressing – My homemade Caesar dressing makes this fresh pasta salad absolute perfection.
- Pasta – My favorite pasta for this salad is the rigatoni from Trader Joe’s – the size is perfect and I love how the ridges grab onto the Caesar dressing. But really, any pasta shape will work. I’d especially recommend a medium-sized pasta such as rigatoni, penne, rotini, or bow tie.
- Romaine – I stick to the idea of a classic Caesar salad and use crisp, sturdy Romaine lettuce. It holds up nicely to the chicken and pasta when everything is combined in the bowl.
- Chicken – Use seasoned, cooked chicken. I always use chicken breasts – roasted, sauteed, or grilled. It’s also super easy to add chopped rotisserie chicken.
- Croutons – These add a nice crunchy texture to the salad, which my family loves. You can omit them if you plan to serve bread alongside.
- Parmesan – You can use shaved or shredded Parmesan, although my preference is for big, salty shavings of cheese so you experience big bites of its deliciousness.
- Black pepper – Add at least a little black pepper. I often add quite a bit!
How To Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
To save time, make the dressing ahead so it’s ready to go when you’re ready to assemble the rest of the salad. See the outline below for the steps to make this salad. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Make the dressing. You can make the Caesar dressing up to 2 days in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl…here’s that Caesar dressing recipe again.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and cool.
- Assemble. Add the pasta, chopped Romaine, and cubed chicken to a large bowl. Then toss to evenly combine.
- Add the dressing. Drizzle the Caesar dressing over the top of the salad.
- Finish. Toss the salad to combine with the dressing. Finish with a sprinkle of croutons, Parmesan shavings, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tips & Variations
You can easily adjust this Caesar chicken pasta salad recipe to fit your tastes and needs. Swap in a different protein, add more veggies, etc. You can even prep it ahead of time – and I’m sharing my tips for that. See a few of my ideas below:
- Try a different protein. Use this method to make a Caesar pasta salad with other proteins such as shrimp, salmon, turkey, bacon, and steak. You could also add a can of chickpeas.
- Switch up the greens. I personally really like arugula. It’s sturdy and peppery, and holds up well in this salad.
- Add more vegetables. Toss in some extra veggies for additional flavor, color, and texture – such as thinly sliced carrots and red onion or halved cherry tomatoes. Diced or sliced cucumber is also good.
- Adjust the dressing. I’ve included some tips in my Caesar dressing recipe, if you want to adjust the dressing a bit (for example, substitute another ingredient for anchovy paste).
- Make it gluten-free. While our family doesn’t employ a gluten-free diet, I try my hardest to accommodate our friends and family members who do. I made this salad recently using GF rotini and offered croutons on the side.
- Make the dressing in advance. It’s totally acceptable to make the homemade Caesar dressing up to 2 days in advance. Just place it in an airtight container – a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid is perfect – and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Prep the salad ahead. To quickly and easily put this salad together right before serving, just prep all the ingredients earlier in the day. Make the dressing. Cook the pasta. Chop the lettuce. Cube the chicken. Then store each ingredient in it’s own separate airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, add the pasta, lettuce, and chicken to a large bowl, drizzle the dressing over it, and finish it up with croutons and Parm!
Serving Suggestions
Serve chicken Caesar pasta salad as main entree for lunch or dinner. Or round out your dinner table with a little more – for example:
- Garlic bread. To make my family outrageously happy, I serve ultra-cheesy homemade garlic bread with this Caesar chicken pasta salad. I can literally watch their eyes light up when they hear this combo’s on the menu!
- Popovers. Most any salad would be great with a side of steaming popovers. Try my regular popovers recipe or this one for sourdough popovers.
- Soup. Serve bowls of creamy tomato bisque alongside this salad. Mmmmm…
Proper Storage
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or see the tips above for how to make it in advance and store each ingredient separately.
Know that once the lettuce has been folded with the dressing, it will lose its crispness the longer it’s stored. If you absolutely know you’ll have more than you can eat in one sitting, I’d recommend that you dress only as much salad as you know you’ll eat – and then store all the components separately in the fridge.
More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
- Mom’s Macaroni Salad with Ham & Cheese
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Greek Tortellini Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Caesar Dressing (use as little or as much as you like)
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, rotini, or bow tie
- 6 cups chopped (1" pieces) hearts of Romaine
- 2 cups chopped (½"-¾" pieces) seasoned, cooked chicken breast (use roasted, sauteed, or grilled chicken breasts – or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup croutons
- ¼ cup shaved or shredded Parmesan
- 2 grinds freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For The Dressing:
- Make the Caesar Dressing and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the salad. You can make the dressing up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
For The Salad:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and throw in a teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente – about 8 to 10 minutes, but timing will depend on the type of pasta you use. Drain the pasta very well and let it cool.
- Add the drained & cooled pasta, chopped Romaine, and cubed chicken to a large bowl, then toss gently to combine.
- Drizzle the Caesar Dressing over the top and toss gently to coat all the salad ingredients evenly.
- To finish, sprinkle the salad with croutons, Parmesan, and a couple grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make the Caesar Dressing up to 2 days in advance. Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Up to several hours prior to serving, cook and drain the pasta. Chop the Romaine and chicken. Store each ingredient in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, add the pasta, Romaine, and chicken to a large bowl and proceed with the recipe instructions.
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