Inspired by the classic caesar salad, this chicken caesar pasta salad is packed with chicken, lettuce, croutons, shaved parmesan, and pasta, all tossed together with homemade or store-bought caesar dressing. It's a simple yet delicious dish for your next BBQ or cookout that can easily feed a crowd!
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Morelli.
In This Post
When Morelli reached out asking if I could create a pasta recipe to enjoy for BBQs and cookouts, I immediately knew what to make. (By the way, here's my collection of recipes for Memorial Day.) I absolutely loved this chicken caesar pasta salad and so did everyone who tried it.
Inspired By Caesar Salad
If you haven't had caesar salad before, it's a simple salad made with romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and tossed with caesar dressing. The dressing is often a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and anchovies.
The name caesar comes from Caesar Cardini, an Italian chef who moved from Tijuana from California in the 1920s. With a packed restaurant and short on ingredients, he pulled together a recipe with what he had left. It was a hit and is now one of the most popular salads in America.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
- Quick and easy to make
- Perfect for BBQs and cookouts- can easily feed a crowd
- Only 7 ingredients needed
- Can be made ahead of time
- Makes wonderful leftovers, if there's any left!
Just 7 Ingredients Needed
- Pasta: I highly recommend using short pasta for this pasta salad such as busiate (Morelli is a favorite brand), rotini, farfalle, or fusillini.
- Chicken: I find myself always grabbing rotisserie chicken for this pasta salad but you can also use leftover chicken or cook 2-3 chicken breasts.
- Lettuce: You need 3 romaine hearts, roughly chopped for this pasta salad.
- Parmesan Cheese: It's best to freshly shave the parmesan cheese, but you can also buy pre-shaved or shredded. If using shredded, reduce the amount to ½ cup.
- Caesar Dressing: You can make your own or use store-bought, either will work.
- Lemon Juice: Adding fresh lemon juice brightens up the pasta salad. If you don't have it, you can leave it out.
- Croutons: While these are optional, they are highly recommended.
Overview: How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This recipe is really simple, just 3 steps but we'll walk through it with more details in the recipe card below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually use 1 Tablespoon salt.) Add the pasta and cook as directed- I usually cook just slightly after al dente. Drain the pasta and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl. Add the chicken, lettuce, croutons, ½ cup parmesan cheese (reserving ¼ cup for topping), and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss to combine.
- Top with remaining parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make This Recipe Even Easier
We all know I'm a fan of simple recipes- here's a few tips to make this recipe even quicker.
- Use Rotisserie Chicken: Make it easier on yourself and run to the store and grab a rotisserie chicken, or add it to your next order.
- Store-Bought Dressing: While I LOVE homemade caesar dressing, it's not always realistic. If you have a favorite store-bought caesar dressing, use it! It will still taste delicious!
- Store-Bought Croutons: Look, homemade croutons are delicious but so are the ones in the bag. Grab them while you're picking up rotisserie chicken and caesar dressing.
- Prep Ingredients: Your further self will thank you if you prep the ingredients- wash and chop the lettuce, pre-make the pasta (see the recipe notes to set it out ahead of time), shred or cook the chicken, pre-shred the parmesan cheese. Having everything already done will make pulling it together even easier!
What To Serve With This Chicken Caesar Pasta
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Homemade Veggie Burgers
- Jalapeño Cheddar Turkey Burgers
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 1 pound short dry pasta, such as busiate, rotini, farfalle, or fusillini
- 3 romaine lettuce hearts, about 12 ounces, rinsed and chopped
- 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 ½ cups croutons
- ¾ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups caesar dressing
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, about half a lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I usually use 1 Tablespoon salt.) Add the pasta and cook as directed- I usually cook just slightly after al dente. Drain the pasta and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl. Add the chicken, lettuce, croutons, ½ cup parmesan cheese (reserving ¼ cup for topping), and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss to combine.
- Top with remaining parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You have two options: 1) The pasta salad can be made up to 1 day in advance without the dressing or croutons. If refrigerating for longer than a few hours, let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes minutes before serving to loosen up the chilled pasta. Then, add the croutons and gently toss together the dressing. 2) The entire pasta salad can be made up to 1-2 hours in advance. Reserve ¼ cup dressing to gently toss just prior to serving.
- Pasta: I highly recommend using short pasta for this pasta salad such as busiate, rotini, farfalle, or fusillini- you need 1 pound.
- Chicken: To keep this recipe on the quicker side I use rotisserie chicken. You can also chop up leftover chicken or cook a 2-3 chicken breasts.
- Caesar Dressing: You can use homemade or store-bought, I've done both and it's delicious either way!
- Parmesan Cheese: It's best to freshly shave the parmesan cheese, but you can also buy pre-shaved or shredded. If using shredded parmesan, reduce the amount to ½ cup.
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