Description
A refreshing Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combining grilled chicken, penne pasta, fresh romaine lettuce, and a tangy homemade Caesar dressing with anchovies. Perfect for a light lunch or a satisfying side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
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 (slightly 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 final touches: Add croutons and parmesan and toss a few times to incorporate. Serve chilled within a few hours.
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.
- Thin the pasta salad with a little reserved pasta water the next day before adding the lettuce and croutons if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
