Grilled Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
A twist on a classic! Creamy, crunchy, cheesy, and totally satisfying. Perfect for BBQs, meal prep, or when you just can’t decide between a salad and pasta!
Servings: 10
Calories: 500kcal
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 2 egg yolks or ¾ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 3 teaspoons anchovy paste or 3 anchovy filets, minced
- 3 garlic gloves grated
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Caesar Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces gamelli pasta
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shaved Parmesan plus more for serving
- 1, 5 ounce bag caesar style croutons roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Grilled Chicken
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 4 6-8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- tomatoes, avocado, bacon optional mix-ins
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk garlic, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, parsley, salt, and pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for grilling.3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or overnight.4 6-8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and spread the pasta out on a large baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over top and allow the pasta to cool. This will keep it from sticking, getting soggy, and better than rinsing off the starch!8 ounces gamelli pasta, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Grill the marinated chicken, basting with the reserved marinade, for 6 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F. Once cooked, remove from the grill and let the chicken rest before slicing into 1-inch pieces. (See notes for oven instructions)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, champagne vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, honey, anchovy paste, grated garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside. I like to use an immersion blender for this.2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar, 1 cup olive oil, 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon honey, 3 teaspoons anchovy paste, 3 garlic gloves, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Salt and pepper
- In a large serving bowl, add the chopped romaine lettuce. Toss with ¼ of the Caesar dressing. Add the cooled pasta and grilled chicken to the bowl, then toss with the remaining dressing (reserve some for serving on the side). Gently fold in the shaved Parmesan and croutons. Add salt and pepper to taste.4 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup shaved Parmesan, 1, 5 ounce bag caesar style croutons, Salt and pepper to taste
- Finish with fresh cracked black pepper on top and enjoy! It’s best to serve this pasta salad right away so the lettuce and croutons don’t get soggy.
Notes
Oven Instructions for the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the marinated chicken breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it into 1-inch pieces.
- Champagne vinegar in the dressing is optional, I think it gives a really nice and unique “what's that?” flavor, but if you don't have it, you can skip it.
- For a fun twist, swap croutons with 2 cups of Cheez-Its - half crushed, half whole.
- The dressing recipe makes 2 cups, so cut it in half if you don’t want leftovers - though I like serving the extra on the side!
- Don't overdress it. Toss with a portion of the dressing first, then add more as needed to prevent a soggy pasta salad.
- To prepare it ahead of time, prep all the components separately and store in the fridge, then toss together right before serving for the freshest texture. The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1882IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 2mg
