Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is the perfect summer side to your grilled meat and veggies. Pasta Salad is the epitome of summer and I always eat loads of it. I even have a Pasta Salad Pinterest board. I know, I’m obsessed. I love Caesar Salad and a Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad may even be better.
Backyard entertaining will soon be here. Although I’m not sure how much entertaining I’ll be doing at my house for the next month. They are doing construction on my road and it’s going to be a huge MESS. I’ll be glad that the potholes will be gone, but I hate having to live in a construction zone. Soooooo I’ve told all my family and friends that they need to invite me over to their places for some outdoor summer fun. I’ll even bring the food.
Both my parents and sister live on the Ottawa River so the views there are simply gorgeous. There’s nothing better than watching the sun set with a delicious meal and a cold drink surrounded by the people you love. They always request I bring a dish and this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad will be on the dish rotation for sure.
So I’m sure you are wondering what it tastes like? That’s easy to describe. Like a Chicken Caesar Salad with tender bowtie pasta noodles sprinkled in. I used all the same ingredients: chicken, croutons, bacon, Parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing and even bits of Romaine lettuce to give it the true Caesar flair.
Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Craving more pasta salads? After you try my recipe (I hope!), check out these yummy recipes from my friends at the Chicken Farmers of Canada:
- Warm Five Herb Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Pasta Salad with Saskatoon Berries
- Cool Spicy Noodle Salad
Are you hungry yet? They have a whole recipe box with scrumptious chicken recipes and I encourage you to check them out and print out the recipes you want to try.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time and assemble before serving. You’ll need to cook two chicken breasts. I did mine in the oven, but you could also grill them if you choose.
Cook the bowtie pasta noodles according to the package directions.
You can also make the bacon ahead of time or cheat like I did and use those ready-to-serve real bacon bits (not the fake ones!).
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Once you’ve got all your prep work done, it’s time to assemble the pasta salad. Add the Romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, chicken, pasta, bacon, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing to a large bowl and stir until combined. Put it in the fridge to chill until you are ready to serve.
When you’re shopping for chicken to use in this recipe, make sure to look for the Raised by a Canadian Farmer mark. It will be on the chicken packaging. If your store doesn’t have it yet, ask them about it.
There is one store in my town that carries it and hopefully more will come on board. It matters! Chicken raised in Canada follows a nationally-set, mandatory food safety and animal care standards so you can count on getting only the best quality chicken to serve your family.
For more pasta salad recipes, try my Italian Pasta Salad, Jalapeno Ranch Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Macaroni Dill Salad, Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad, Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad or Grilled Butter Chicken Pasta Salad. You might also enjoy my Greek Chicken Salad.
What’s on your backyard entertaining menu this year? I’d love more ideas!
You might also like this Greek Pasta Salad, Ramen Noodle Salad, Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Salad, Pizza Pasta Salad, Tuna Salad or Tortellini Salad.
Try my Chicken Caesar Pizza, too!
Connect with the Chicken Farmers of Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 package Bowtie pasta 16oz/410g package, uncooked
- 2 chicken breasts cooked and cut into cubes
- 2 cups Romaine lettuce cut into small pieces
- 1 cup garlic croutons
- ½ cup bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup Caesar salad dressing
- lemon for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, stir together Romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, chicken, pasta, bacon, Parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing, salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.
- Chill in fridge until ready to serve. Stir before serving.
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Oh man this looks tasty! Tis would be perfect for a summer BBQ side dish. Thank you for this recipe!
I love this salad! I added lemon pepper seasoning in place of the salt, pepper, and lemon and it really added to it. Highly recommend!
I love your idea to add lemon pepper- it’s one of my favorite flavor combos.
How many stalks of romaine do I need to purchase if I’m tripling the recipe to feed 25 people?
Two heads of Romaine should be more than enough. You might even get away with just 1 if it’s a big stalk.
2 cups – not 2 heads
I tried this recipe for a funeral/potluck and everyone absolutely raved about it- even people who just volunteered to help had to try some. I added some finely grated carrot to add some extra color and little bit of extra flavor and it turned out great!
Hi, unable to find the ingredients for the homemade Caesar dressing in the recipe. I would like to make that also. Thank you
I used cheese tortellini in place of bowtie pasta, very good!
This looks so good, but it’s just me. How well does it keep after it’s made? Can I mix everything together but the romaine? Or should I keep it all separate and just mix little bits together when I’m ready to eat?
Hi Lorette,
Leftovers taste awesome because it’s had a chance to sit and really infuse those flavors into the pasta. I like to mix it all (romaine too) at once. If you are worried about the romaine becoming a little softened, I would keep that separate. It doesn’t bother me though so I just add it all in at the same time!
Do you have a Ceasar Salad dressing recipe? Yours looks so creamy.
I can’t wait to try your pasta salad!
I don’t have one on my site unfortunately. My favourite is Renee’s! https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/renes-caesar-dressing/6000191270517 Any Caesar dressing though will be fine.
This looks awesome (to me) but I might have to leave the romaine out as my husband doesn’t care for the combo with pasta. It is just he and I tho. I might add halved grape tomatoes and chopped red onion as we eat those in our caesar. We are making a bbq’d pork steak today and this will be the perfect side!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Can you make the Caesar chicken salad the night before,?
Yes, you can. Cover and store it in the fridge.
What would you recommend serving with this to “round out the meal? “
I like garlic bread, grilled/roasted veggies like roasted potatoes or grilled corn on the cob.