Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This chicken Caesar pasta salad is the best side dish of the summer! It’s loaded with classic flavors of Caesar salad combined with shredded rotisserie chicken, massaged kale, and al dente noodles. Perfect for the next backyard barbecue or a quick meal prep recipe for easy weekday lunches!

 

Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

• Quick. This chicken Caesar pasta salad comes together in no time! Plus you can prep the ingredients ahead of time so you can literally throw it together in about 10 minutes.
• Easy. The ingredient list for this recipe is short and sweet, which means it’s super easy to make. If you can boil noodles and chop kale, you can make this pasta salad!!
• Delicious. The fresh lemon zest and juice wilts the kale beautifully and perfectly compliments the salty, briny capers, and the nuttiness of the Parmesan cheese. Mix that with crispy, homemade croutons, and al dente pasta tossed in Caesar dressing and you’ll see why this chicken Caesar pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser!
• Better. Most Caesar pasta salad recipes use Romaine lettuce. Unfortunately, Romaine wilts almost immediately and turns into a sloppy mess. This recipe uses wilted kale instead which becomes tender and delicious and will last in the fridge for days!

Ingredients for Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

• Rotisserie Chicken: What did we do before rotisserie chicken?! Shredded chicken is my favorite shortcut to making this delicious pasta salad in just minutes! You can also use leftover grilled chicken too!
• Pasta: Find a fun shape of pasta to use! You can use something common like rotini or penne but I love to use rotelle wheels or trotolle (like I used in my chicken bacon ranch pasta salad). You’ll want a pasta shape with lots of nooks and crannies to hold all that delicious Caesar dressing in every bite.
• Kale: I like to use regular curly kale for this salad because it wilts best and has a mild flavor. If you’re not into kale, I highly suggest that you give it a try in this recipe anyway. Wilting it with olive oil and lemon literally transforms it!
• Lemon Zest and Juice: Lemon adds a delicious layer of zingy flavor. If you don’t have a fresh lemon on hand, you can omit it but you will notice a difference!
• Capers: Capers might seem like a bit of an unusual ingredient for Caesar salad, but I love all things, salty and briny and I’m obsessed with adding capers to everything (including tuna salad!) so they feel like a really natural fit here. Omit them if you prefer.
• Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese is a Caesar salad classic. If I’m using pre-shredded I like to use shaved Parmesan because I like the surface area of the wide strips. But if I have time, I like to shred the Parmesan myself. It always tastes better and has more flavor!
• Caesar Dressing: There are so many delicious store-bought Caesar dressings out there – you don’t have to make your own at home! My favorite brand of Caesar dressing is Cardini’s. But Ken’s Steakhouse has a delicious Caesar dressing as well.
• Homemade Croutons: There is literally nothing better than homemade croutons. Once you realize how easy they are to make, and how much more delicious they are than store-bought, you will never go back! My super easy homemade crouton recipe is loaded with flavor and makes this pasta salad recipe a cut above the rest.

How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Drizzle kale with oil and lemon juice. Add a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Massage kale for a few minutes until it wilts and turns bright green. Add lemon zest and toss to mix it in well.

Add cooled pasta, capers, and Parmesan cheese (reserve some Parmesan for garnish if you like) to the bowl.

Drizzle with Caesar dressing. Toss to coat evenly. If you’re serving the salad right away, fold in the crispy croutons. If you’re serving later, add the croutons just before serving along with another drizzle of dressing.

Toss to coat, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and fresh cracked pepper, and enjoy!

Tips for Making Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

• Cool Pasta. Be sure to cool your pasta to room temperature before adding it to the pasta salad. There is no need to rinse it with cold water. Just drizzle it with olive oil and let it sit out on the counter for 10 or 20 minutes.
• Salt Pasta Water. Salt your pasta water moderately! It may seem like a small thing, but salting the water is your first chance to season the pasta and it really does make a difference in the overall flavor of the dish. Add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to the boiling water just before adding the pasta.
• Cook Pasta al Dente. Cook the pasta just until al dente. Nothing ruins a pasta salad quicker than mushy, overcooked noodles! Check the package directions and cook the pasta just until al dente so it holds up well when coated in the thick, creamy Caesar dressing.

Making Caesar Pasta Salad Ahead of Time

• This pasta salad recipe is one of my favorite make-ahead meals! It stays fresh in the fridge for days and the flavors just get better with time!
• If you’re planning to make this pasta salad ahead of time, I recommend using about half the dressing initially and then adding more dressing just before you eat it.
• Additionally, if you know you won’t be eating the salad right away – don’t add the croutons just yet! Add them just before you eat so that they stay super crisp and crunchy.
• The rest of the ingredients will hold up well in the fridge!

Storing Leftover Pasta Salad

• Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Add a drizzle of dressing and fresh croutons before serving!

Try these pasta salads next!

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