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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Chicken Caesar pasta salad with grilled chicken, chopped romaine, and croutons tossed in creamy Caesar dressing. Cooked penne or rotini is rinsed cold for a firm bite, then chilled before finishing with Parmesan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
grilled chicken breast, diced
  • 2 cup grilled chicken breast, diced
romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 4 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Caesar dressing
  • 1 cup Caesar dressing
Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
croutons
  • 1 cup croutons
cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges for serving
  • 1 lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions (usually 8–12 minutes), until tender. Drain the pasta and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Build the salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, diced grilled chicken breast, chopped romaine, and halved cherry tomatoes. Toss gently so the romaine and tomatoes are evenly distributed.
  2. Pour in the Caesar dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. Scrape the sides of the bowl once to fully dress the pasta.
  3. Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again just until the seasoning and cheese are incorporated.
Chill
  1. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld. The salad should look well-coated and slightly firm once chilled.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the chilled salad with croutons just before serving to keep them crisp. Add croutons over the top so you can see them throughout.
  2. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. The bright wedge color should be visible in the serving bowl.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta with cold water right after draining so it doesn’t clump. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3 days; freeze not recommended because romaine and tomatoes soften after thawing. If you want a lighter option, use a reduced-fat Caesar dressing to lower calories while keeping the same creamy coating.