Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Flavorful pasta with grilled chicken, bacon, fresh veggies, and creamy Caesar dressing, ready in 40 minutes.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Bacon

07 - 4 slices bacon

→ Vegetables

08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
10 - 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)

→ Caesar Dressing

11 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
14 - 2 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
16 - 2 anchovy fillets, finely minced (or 1 tsp anchovy paste; optional)
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
19 - 2 to 3 tbsp whole milk (to adjust consistency)

→ Toppings

20 - 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
21 - 1/2 cup croutons
22 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Boil rotini in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side until fully cooked. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
03 - Fry bacon slices over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, cool, then crumble into small pieces.
04 - In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced anchovies (if used), minced garlic, and black pepper. Add milk gradually until desired creamy consistency is reached.
05 - In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, grilled chicken, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, chopped romaine, and sliced red onion (if using).
06 - Pour the Caesar dressing over the salad mixture and toss thoroughly to coat evenly.
07 - Garnish with shaved Parmesan, croutons, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and actually tastes better the next day when flavors meld.
  • One bowl, so many textures—creamy, crispy, fresh—that every bite keeps you interested.
  • Naturally adaptable; you can swap proteins or vegetables without losing the soul of the dish.
02 -
  • Underseasoned chicken is the biggest mistake; taste the chicken by itself before adding it to the salad so you can adjust if needed.
  • Make the dressing thicker than you think you need—the pasta will absorb liquid as it sits, and you want it to stay creamy, not dry out by tomorrow.
  • Cold dressing on warm pasta is fine, but if you can wait for everything to cool to the same temperature, the flavors integrate more gracefully.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing because pasta is a sponge and you want this to stay luxuriously creamy for days.
  • The secret to silky dressing is whisking constantly while you add the milk—don't dump it in all at once or you'll end up with a broken, grainy texture.
  • Toast your own croutons from day-old bread rubbed with olive oil and garlic for a fraction of the cost and twice the flavor.
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