Valentina's Corner
An easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe. This salad is loaded with pasta, romaine, tomatoes, bacon and juicy chicken mixed with a homemade Caesar Salad Dressing.
Do you like a good pasta salad? How about a Caesar salad? Well, this Chicken Caesar Pasta salad is those two salads combined.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad-
The combination of flavors in this salad is so good! Seasoned and cooked chicken breast with bacon, tomatoes, and romaine tossed with pasta and croutons in homemade Caesar salad dressing.
The salad tastes so fresh from the romaine yet hearty and filling from the chicken and pasta.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN CAESAR PASTA SALAD-
- Pasta– Adds so much heartiness to the salad.
- Chicken breast– Adds protein to the salad.
- Tomatoes– We used cherry tomatoes, but you can use any tomatoes on hand.
- Bacon– Classic or maple bacon may be used.
- Croutons– Your favorite croutons.
- Romaine– We suggest Romaine lettuce over iceberg lettuce for this recipe.
- Dressing– Brings all of the flavors together.
| Chef’s Tip: Allow chicken, pasta, and bacon to cool completely before adding to the salad and mixing. |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-
Though we absolutely love our homemade dressing for this salad, you can use your favorite store-bought dressing.
We used rotini pasta when preparing this salad. However, just about any pasta will work in this recipe: penne, farfalle or rotini are all great to use.
Though we cooked the bacon ourselves, you can use precooked bacon with great results.
Yes, a store-bought Rotiserrie chicken will work great as a substitute to cooking the chicken breast.
Yes, this chicken pasta salad is a great salad to prepare in advance. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. DON’T mix. Prepare salad dressing and keep it separate. Mix everything before serving.
The salad may be prepared up to one day before you plan on serving it.
This salad is always such a hit at parties and potlucks. It always gets rave reviews and everyone asks for the recipe.
MORE SALADS TO TRY:
- Coleslaw Salad– easy cabbage coleslaw recipe
- Macaroni Salad– the best potluck salad
- Taco Salad– great lunch or dinner
- Easy Pasta Salad– a classic pasta salad
- Spinach Salad with Chicken– ultimate spinach salad with chicken
- Strawberry Spinach Salad– spinach salad loaded with fruits
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 6 oz uncooked pasta
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 5 bacon strips
- 1 large romaine heart
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 recipe for caesar dressing
Instructions
- Using a meat mallet, beat the chicken breast to an even thickness and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil on a skillet and sear the chicken for 2 minutes on both sides. Proceed to turn the heat down, cover with the lid, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Chop up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, strain, and rinse with cold water.
- Cut bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy. Use a paper towel to blot excess fat.
- Chop lettuce and cut tomatoes in half.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients along with the dressing.
- Finish with croutons, and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: If you’d like to store this salad for later, don’t dress the entire thing, and mix all the ingredients with the dressing when you are ready to eat.
- Crispy lettuce: To achieve crisp lettuce, rinse your lettuce in ice-cold water and pat dry.
- Wait for the chicken and bacon to come to room temperature before tossing the salad.