Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

You'll be the envy of the backyard barbecue or potluck with this easy 20-minute, veggie-loaded kale Caesar pasta salad. Take a break from the classic macaroni salad and opt for something a little lighter that's filled with fresh vegetables!

You Will Love This

• It's perfect for meal prep. I like to make a big batch of this Caesar pasta salad on Sunday and portion it out for lunches all week. It's satisfying, filling and fuels me through a busy work day.  A couple hours in the kitchen on the weekend means I spend a lot less time in the kitchen during the week.
• It's super easy to throw together and store bought dressing means you can have it made in just 20 minutes! I used to love to spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal. Now I'm lucky if I get 10-15 child free minutes alone ever, so convenience is key for me! Tasty store bought dressing means I can get lunch ready in a jiffy and feel good about feeding it to my family!
• If you loved this pasta salad recipe, be sure to check out my BLT pasta salad, street corn pasta salad, and tuna pasta salad.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pasta - I love rotini pasta for this salad because it's an easily recognized noodle that most folks are familiar with, but you could really use any small cut of pasta. Bow tie, penne, fusilli, cavatappi, medium shells, orecchiette, or elbow macaroni noodles would work great too! Skip the spaghetti and linguine or any other longer noodle in this salad though as it won't work quite as well.
• Chopped Kale - Most Caesar pasta salad recipes call for romaine lettuce, but I find that it gets soggy super quickly and loses that crunch that makes it so delicious which is why I use kale instead! Kale is the perfect dark leafy green for this salad and the best part is that it stays fresh for up to a week. Crisp romaine lettuce is fine for a fresh Caesar salad, but not ideal for this pasta salad. 
• Olive Oil & Lemon Juice - The olive oil and lemon juice are going to work together to flavor the kale and to help it break down and wilt. Massaging the kale with oil and lemon juice is the key to softening it and making it more palatable. If you love lemon flavor, try massaging in the zest of 1 lemon along with the lemon juice and olive oil.
• Chickpeas - Feel free to switch up the chickpeas with white beans or Great Northern beans if you prefer. You could also add shredded rotisserie chicken and make this into a chicken Caesar pasta salad!
• Cucumbers - Crunchy sliced cucumbers are such a great way to add another textural element to this pasta salad. I prefer to slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and then scoop out the seeds from the center of the cucumber, and then slice it into about ¼ of an inch thick slices.
• Capers - I am obsessed with capers. I literally add them to everything. They add a really delicious salty, briny bite to this salad that pairs nicely with the nutty Parmesan and creamy Caesar dressing. You can omit them if you don't have any on hand, but I promise you are going to looooooove them!
• Parmesan Cheese - I usually buy store bought shaved Parmesan instead of shaving or shredding it myself for this pasta salad. Feel free to use whatever Parmesan you have on hand.
• Caesar Dressing - Brianna's Asiago Caesar is my favorite Caesar salad dressing. It's got the most delicious flavor with just a hint of garlic and plenty of nutty cheese flavor along with a subtle tang from Dijon mustard. It's also the perfect consistency for mixing into the pasta salad. Use your favorite brand or make your own homemade Caesar dressing if you prefer.
• Homemade Croutons - Have you made croutons at home yet? If not, you MUST. Homemade croutons are better than store bought and they are so easy to make at home! Literally, about 5 minutes of hands-on prep (slice, season, and place on a baking sheet), and then the oven does the rest of the work. Once you try homemade croutons, you'll never go back!

Instructions

Boil pasta according to package directions, in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let pasta cool to room temperature.

Add kale to a large bowl. Drizzle it with oil and lemon juice and season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Massage kale for a few minutes until it wilts and turns bright green.

Add cooled pasta, chickpeas, cucumbers, capers, and Parmesan cheese to the bowl.

Drizzle with Caesar dressing. 

Toss to coat everything evenly.

If you're serving the salad right away, add the croutons.

Fold the croutons into the salad.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese, and fresh cracked black pepper, and enjoy!

Tips

• Season your pasta water moderately. Add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to your large pot of boiling water just before adding the pasta. This is your first chance to season the pasta and will make the overall flavor of your pasta salad much better. Don't worry about the extra sodium -  most of the water and salt will end up going down the drain when you strain the pasta anyway. 
• Cook the noodles just until al dente. They will soak up the dressing as the salad sits, so the best way to ensure that you don't end up with a soggy pasta salad is to cook the noodles al dente, or until they still have a toothsome bite.
• After you cook and strain your noodles, toss them in olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. This will keep them from sticking together and give them a little boost of flavor. Don't rinse your pasta! This removes all that the starchy goodness and makes it harder for the dressing to stick.
• Massaging the kale is key! The lemon juice and olive oil will work in combination to wilt the greens and make them tasty, bright and full of flavor. If you don't think you like kale, I encourage you to massage it! It takes away the bitterness and gives it a very palatable texture. Also, don't worry if it seems like a lot of kale when you first start. It will reduce in size as it wilts.
• If you won't be enjoying this salad right away, save the croutons for later! Although my homemade croutons do not get as soggy as store bought, they will eventually get soft when left sitting in dressing. If you'll be eating this salad later, simply wait to add the croutons until just before serving. That will keep them perfectly crisp and crunchy!

Variations

You can really customize this pasta salad as you see fit! Some of our family's favorite variations include:

• leftover grilled chicken breasts (diced into bite-sized pieces)
• shredded rotisserie chicken
• sauteed salmon
• cooked shrimp
• grape tomatoes
• cherry tomatoes
• diced red onion
• anchovies

FAQ

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-Ahead: This pasta salad is a delicious make ahead meal or side dish! If you're planning to make it a few days in advance, wait to add the croutons until just before serving the salad. This will ensure that the croutons are still super crispy and delicious when the pasta salad is served. If you're making it ahead of time, plan to add another drizzle of dressing just before serving so that the salad isn't dry as the noodles will soak up the dressing as it sits. 
• Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remember that the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing and the croutons may get a bit soggy after more than 24 hours in the fridge, however, the flavors will still be delicious!

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This recipe was originally posted in July 2018. It was updated in July 2022 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions, and tips for making the best Kale Caesar Pasta Salad every time!