Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
A hearty and seriously satisfying pasta salad loaded with fresh flavor.
Servings: 6 (makes about 12 cups)
Ingredients
Dressing
- 5 anchovy fillets, canned in oil (drained)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad
- 10 oz. dry penne pasta
- 4 cups (slighlty packed) chopped romaine lettuce (preferably romaine hearts or the center portion)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled, cooled, then chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cup croutons, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, to thin as needed
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Cook pasta in salted water according to directions on package. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside to cool. Drain pasta then transfer to an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet that's sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper and let cool completely.
Make the dressing
- Mince anchovies and place in a medium mixing bowl, mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add in mayonnaise, lemon juice, parmesan, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to blend. Chill in fridge until ready to use.
Toss salad and dressing
- Add cooled pasta, lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, and parsley to a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat, thin mixture with pasta water as needed (it will thicken as it sits).
- Add croutons and parmesan and toss a few times incorporate.
Notes
- Serve within a few hours of preparing as the lettuce will start to wilt. Keep chilled.
- You can make the pasta salad in advance just wait to add the croutons and the lettuce. Also set aside 1/4 cup dressing (in the fridge) to toss with the lettuce before adding to the pasta salad.
- And you can thin the pasta salad with a little water the next day before adding the lettuce and croutons.