Chicken Caesar Salad with Pasta features your favorite Caesar salad plus seasoned chicken, tender pasta, and lots of veggies. It’s a tasty and filling salad that your family won’t mind eating as the main dish!
I love summer time because that means it’s salad season!
I frequently serve salads for dinner during the summer months because most produce is in season and it usually means I don’t need to have the oven or stove on for very long.
This chicken Caesar salad with pasta is one of my favorites because it’s so flavorful and so easy!
I think I first found the basic recipe on Pinterest years ago, but I’ve spruced it up by adding extra veggies and a healthier Caesar vinaigrette.
There may be lots of variations out there for chicken Caesar pasta salad, but this is the best one ever!
Step-by-Step Instructions
COOK 8 ounces of farfalle (bowtie) pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
WHILE the pasta is cooking, cut 2-3 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with garlic and herb seasoning.
HEAT a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, 10-12 minutes.
WHILE the chicken and pasta cook, wash and thinly chop 1 head of romaine lettuce. Peel and slice 1 cucumber. Halve 1 cup of cherry tomatoes.
ADD romaine lettuce and Caesar vinaigrette to a large bowl and toss to combine.
ADD pasta, chicken, cucumber, and tomatoes to the bowl and gently toss. Top the salad with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of croutons.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
This salad is totally customizable based on what your family likes, and even what you have on hand.
- You can remove the cucumbers and tomatoes if you want or add in diced avocado.
- Substitute rotini or penne for the bowtie pasta.
- You could do shredded Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella.
- Try a creamy Caesar dressing instead of a vinaigrette.
- If you have rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken breasts on hand, cut that up and use it instead of the pan-fried chicken.
If you add the dressing to all of the lettuce, this salad will keep well for 1-2 days at most. If you’d like to have leftovers for a bit longer, save some of the lettuce and toppings in a separate container and toss it with the dressing right before eating.
My favorite dressing to use on this salad is Ken’s Steak House Lite Caesar.
This salad makes for a delicious wrap filling in a tortilla or pita pocket. You may want to remove the pasta if you’re going to eat it in a wrap so you don’t get a double dose of carbs.
More Like This
Looking for more delicious, fresh salads? You’ll love these!
I hope your family loves this chicken Caesar salad with pasta as much as mine! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
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The Best Chicken Caesar Salad With Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces farfalle, bowtie pasta
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons garlic and herb seasoning
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup Caesar vinaigrette, I like Ken's Steak House
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with garlic and herb seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, 10-12 minutes.
- While the chicken and pasta cook, wash and thinly chop romaine lettuce, peel and slice the cucumber, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Add romaine lettuce and Caesar vinaigrette to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Add pasta, chicken, cucumber, and tomatoes to the bowl and gently toss. Top the salad with shredded mozzarella cheese and croutons.
Notes
Nutrition
