Description
This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a quick, hearty, and delicious twist on the classic Caesar salad. Tossed with rotini pasta, tender chicken, crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, parmesan cheese, and creamy Caesar dressing, it’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights or easy lunches. Ready in just 12 minutes, it combines favorite flavors in a satisfying main-course salad.
Ingredients
Lettuce
- 2 stalks romaine lettuce
Pasta
- 1 cup uncooked rotini (or your favorite pasta)
Chicken
- 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
Other Toppings
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup croutons
Dressing & Seasoning
- 1 cup Caesar dressing
- Black pepper, optional
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rotini (or your chosen pasta) according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain thoroughly. Set aside.
- Prepare the Lettuce: While the pasta cools, chop the romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces, discarding the core for best texture.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped romaine, cooled pasta, cooked chicken, shredded Parmesan, croutons, and Caesar dressing. Add black pepper if desired for extra flavor.
- Toss the Salad: Gently toss all the ingredients together until everything is well coated with the dressing and cheese is evenly distributed.
- Serve: Serve immediately to keep the lettuce crisp. Enjoy as a standalone main course or hearty side.
Notes
- Rotisserie, pre-cooked, canned, or leftover chicken all work well for this salad.
- Chopped romaine is traditional for Caesar salad, but a store-bought Caesar salad kit saves time (use a full 11 oz. kit for best results).
- Brands like Ken’s Steakhouse Caesar and Newman’s Own Caesar make flavorful dressings.
- If shredding chicken, it pulls apart best while still warm.
- Feel free to tailor the salad with extra dressing, croutons, or cheese according to taste.
- If prepping ahead of time, wait to add the dressing until just before serving to preserve texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 512 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 990 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 58 mg
