Quick & Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a flavorful, easy-to-make dish that combines a classic chicken Caesar salad with tender pasta and crunchy bacon. It's perfect for a summer picnics, potluck, or a weeknight dinners.
Jump to:
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. I like to cook mine minus one minute from al dente. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander set in your kitchen sink and rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking.
- Fill a large bowl, that your colander will sit in completely, with ice water. Then, place the pasta filled colander into the ice bath, making sure that all of the pasta is in the water. Use your hand to stir the pasta around in the cold water, so that all of it cools. This should take about a minute or two.
- Once the pasta has cooled, dump the ice water from the bowl and place the colander back into the bowl to allow the water to drain from the pasta. Place a double layer of paper towels on a half-sheet pan and dump the pasta from the colander onto the paper towels. Use your hands to spread the pasta out into an even layer.
- Place another double layer of paper towels on top of the pasta and gently press on the paper towels, rocking your hands back and forth and from side to side, to dry the pasta as completely as possible.
- Place the cooled pasta, along with the cooked and cubed chicken breasts, into a very large bowl. Then, pour the Caesar salad dressing on top. I started by using my 4-quart Pyrex glass mixing bowl; however, this bowl ultimately proved to be too small for the finished salad.
If you're making this a day in advance, I recommend this size bowl to start with because it will easily fit in the refrigerator. However, if you're making this the same day you're serving it, I recommend using either an extra-large 8-quart mixing bowl or a Giant-Size Aluminum Pasta Pan (19.5" x 11.6" x 3.1").
- Then, stir the dressing into the pasta and chicken, making sure that everything is well coated. Next, add the cooked and crumbled bacon and the shaved parmesan cheese.
- Then, stir the bacon and cheese into the dressed pasta and chicken. I decided to make this salad a day in advance, so that the flavors could meld together and the pasta and the chicken could absorb some of the dressing. I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerated it overnight.
- When I was ready to serve the salad, I removed the bowl from the refrigerator and discarded the plastic wrap. Then, I added the romaine lettuce and Caesar croutons.
As you can see from the image below, once I added the last two elements of the salad, my original mixing bowl overflowed. There wasn't enough room to mix in the lettuce and croutons and when I tried, I just ended up flinging everything out of the bowl.
- I transferred everything to my extra-large 8-quart mixing bowl. Since I refrigerated everything overnight, the pasta and the chicken absorbed some of the dressing, so I added an additional ½ cup of Caesar salad dressing.
Fortunately, the 8-quart bowl has a lid, so I put the lid on the bowl and shook it to combine everything. If you don't have an 8-quart mixing bowl, then I recommend transferring everything to a Giant-Size Aluminum Pasta Pan (19.5" x 11.6" x 3.1") and stirring everything with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
- This salad can be served in whatever container it's made in; however, I transferred it to a large serving platter and topped it with additional croutons, bacon pieces, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
This Quick & Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a winner! Creamy Caesar dressing coats tender pasta, juicy chicken, crisp romaine, and crunchy bacon. It's the perfect dish for summer gatherings or a simple meal. Try this Quick & Easy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe for your next potluck, picnic, or weeknight dinner!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Using pre-cooked chicken will save you time. I used Tyson Grilled & Ready Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast and defrosted it overnight in the refrigerator, as opposed to cooking it according to package directions.
I used Radiatori pasta, but rotini, penne, or farfalle will also work well
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Of course not. If you'd like to make the dressing from scratch, try our homemade Caesar salad dressing.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cook the pasta al dente: This will ensure the pasta stays firm and doesn't become mushy. I like to cook my pasta for one minute minus al dente.
- Serve immediately: For the best flavor, serving the salad immediately after adding the romaine is best.
- Using the right bowl: The author recommends using a very large bowl, such as an 8-quart mixing bowl or a Giant-Size Aluminum Pasta Pan, especially if you are serving the salad the same day.
- Adding lettuce and croutons later: If you're making the salad ahead of time, add the romaine lettuce and Caesar croutons just before serving to prevent them from getting soggy. Or you can forgo the romaine all together and serve as a simple pasta salad.
Other Great Caesar Salad Recipes
Did you make this recipe? We'd love to know how it turned out! Leave a review below. Then, share a picture on Instagram and tag @pudgefactor so we can see it.
Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Flipboard, and Instagram.
Thank you so much for visiting PudgeFactor. We hope you'll come back!
Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, enjoy weekly doses of culinary inspiration as a bonus!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Pudge Factor.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 8-quart mixing bowl or Giant Size Aluminum Pasta Pan (19.5" x 11.6" x 3.1")
- half-sheet pan
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry Pasta Radiatori, rotini, penne, or farfalle
- 1 lb Cooked & Cubed Chicken Breasts
- 16 oz Caesar Salad Dressing divided
- 1 lb Bacon cooked and crumbled; reserve about ¼ c. to sprinkle on top
- 1 c Shaved Parmesan Cheese reserve about ¼ c. to sprinkle on top
- 1 Romaine Lettuce Head washed and dried; about 2 cups packed tightly
- 5 oz Caesar Croutons about 2 cups; reserve about ½ c. to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions, minus one minute from al dente. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander set in your kitchen sink and rinse it with cold water. Fill a large bowl that your colander will sit in completely with ice water. Then, place the pasta-filled colander into the ice bath, making sure that all of the pasta is in the water. Use your hand to stir the pasta around in the cold water for about a minute or two so that it cools.
- Once the pasta has cooled, dump the ice water from the bowl and place the colander back into the bowl to allow the water to drain from the pasta. Place a double layer of paper towels on a half-sheet pan and dump the pasta from the colander onto the paper towels. Use your hands to spread the pasta out into an even layer. Place another double layer of paper towels on top of the pasta and gently press on the paper towels, rocking your hands back and forth and from side to side, to dry the pasta as completely as possible.
- Place the cooled pasta, along with the cooked and cubed chicken breasts into an 8-qt. mixing bowl.1 Then, pour 1 ½ c. Caesar salad dressing on top and stir the dressing into the pasta and chicken, making sure that everything is well coated.
- Next, add the cooked and crumbled bacon and the shaved parmesan cheese. Then, stir the bacon and cheese into the dressed pasta and chicken.2
- When you're ready to serve the salad, add the romaine lettuce, Caesar croutons, and an additional ½ cup of Caesar salad dressing. Then, stir everything with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
- Top with reserved bacon, parmesan cheese, and croutons. Serve immediately.
- Yield 16 servings
Tips/Notes
- I started by using my 4-quart Pyrex glass mixing bowl. However, this bowl ultimately proved to be too small for the finished salad. If you're making this a day in advance, I recommend this size bowl because it will easily fit in the refrigerator. However, if you're making this the same day you're serving it, I recommend using either an extra-large 8-quart mixing bowl or a Giant-Size Aluminum Pasta Pan (19.5" x 11.6" x 3.1").
- I decided to make this salad a day in advance, so that the flavors could meld together and the pasta and the chicken could absorb some of the dressing. I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerated it overnight. I waited until right before serving it to add the romaine lettuce, croutons, and remaining ½ c. dressing.
- This recipe makes quite a lot, it can easily be cut in half!
Leave a Reply