Homemade Caesar Pasta Salad
Pasta salads from the store are delicious, but they never taste as fresh as homemade. Our Homemade Caesar Pasta Salad is crispy fresh, full of flavor and the perfect classic summer salad. Rotisserie chicken amplifies the flavor and our homemade Caesar dressing brings everything to life! I really think the dressing is key! Our homemade Caesar dressing takes less than 10 minutes to make and it’s a little addicting, for realz. I couldn’t stop licking the spoon after making it.
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Why We Love this Recipe
- Yummy! This pasta salad’s got all the bold, creamy Caesar flavor you love—plus flavorful chicken, juicy tomatoes, crunchy croutons and a savory kick of shaved parmesan to top it off!
- Quick and easy! You only need 8 ingredients for this pasta salad, and it comes together in under 28 minutes!
- Customizable. Add extra veggies or swap chicken for another protein to make this pasta salad dish your own!
- Kid-friendly. Our kids love this salad because it has lots of their favorites- pasta, chicken and Caesar dressing! Plus, corkscrew pasta is a fun shape!
If you’re in the mood for salad, you can also check out our Panzanella Salad, Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad, or our Bowtie Pasta Salad with veggies and Balsamic vinaigrette. All these salads are excellent for summer picnics, BBQs, or just regular weeknights when you don’t want anything hot.
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Pasta – We think fusilli or rotini (corkscrew) are the best pastas for this salad, but bowtie and rotelle (aka pinwheel) are also fun! Hard to go wrong, really.
Chicken – We bought a rotisserie chicken and pulled it apart for this salad. I can’t recommend this enough because you’ll have the rest of the chicken to use for sandwiches, snacks or even as an ingredient for other dishes. You could also cook chicken yourself or even swap for another protein, like shrimp or steak.
Croutons – Any kind works. They don’t have to be ‘Caesar’ croutons. You can also top your pasta salad with these delicious parmesan crisps!
Cherry tomatoes – Grape tomatoes are also great.
Cheese! Shaved parmesan is perfect but grated is also good.
Dressing – We are ever so partial to our own homemade Caesar dressing but you can also use store-bought, of course.
Lettuce – Romaine is classic. Swap for another green like spinach, arugula, a baby spring mix or even iceberg – it’ll change the vibe but still be delicious. You can also skip the greens altogether if that’s easier.
✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- Buy a rotisserie chicken for this pasta salad. Take it apart right when you get home from the store (it’s easiest while warm). Separate out a cup or two for this recipe and refrigerate the rest for sandwiches, snacks and an easy-access ingredient for other recipes.
- Rinse pasta in cold water after cooking. This helps remove surface starch which can make the pasta stick together.
- You don’t have to use all the pasta. If you like a more heavily dressed salad, maybe start with 1/2 the pasta in the salad and incrementally add more until it’s the right amount for you.
- Play around with quantities – this recipe is not set in stone. You can adjust the amount of any of the ingredients OR just eyeball the amounts.
🫙 Shoutout to our Caesar Dressing!
For this Caesar pasta salad, I used our homemade Caesar dressing recipe. This dressing is bomb – I’m serious. We used capers instead of anchovies because they’re easier to find and not everyone loves a bold anchovy flavor. The sauce is perfection. I whipped it together with an immersion blender, which made for less cleanup and a perfect consistency. You can also try it on our Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad, which would be delish!
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Kids choose the pasta. Any short pasta with a fun shape will work – like fusilli, rotini, bowtie and rotelle (aka pinwheel).
- Kids choose a side. Dinner rolls or Garlic Bread are always a hit! My kids’ favorite is Pepperidge Farm’s frozen garlic bread.
- Add some crunch! Don’t forget the croutons, or you can top this dish with some crunchy, golden cheese crisps!
- Tone down the dressing. Consider setting aside some pasta salad that is lighter on the dressing for the kids. Or, let them add their own!
- Set aside some pasta salad before being tossed with the dressing. Just in case…
❓FAQ
After you rinse your cooked pasta, shake it around in the colander to release as much water as possible. Also, toss all the other ingredients with the dressing first. Then separately toss in the lettuce last. That way the dressing will be coating the chicken, pasta and other ingredients more, keeping the lettuce crispier.
I wouldn’t recommend keeping this Caesar pasta salad as leftovers; it’s is best eaten freshly tossed and right away. Otherwise, after a while the lettuce will lose it’s crisp and the croutons will get soft.
Typical Caesar dressing ingredients can be: lemon juice, eggs, anchovies, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, oil, parmesan cheese, garlic and/or mustard. Our homemade Caesar dressing uses capers instead of anchovies and has no raw eggs.
As a side dish (or if kids are eating), this serves roughly 8 people. As a main course, it serves closer to 6 people.
Craft For This Recipe
Chicken Napkin Rings
With just a few basic craft supplies and some toilet paper rolls, your kids can create these adorable cardboard chicken napkin rings! Fun for picnics, for sure!
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🥗 Homemade Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb corkscrew pasta (fusilli or rotini)
- 1+ cup rotisserie chicken (pulled apart roughly into pieces and strips)
- 1 cup croutons
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup shaved parmesan
- 3/4 cup Caesar dressing
- 1-2 Romaine lettuce hearts (chopped)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions. When it's done, pour pasta into a sink strainer and rinse well with cold water. Meanwhile, gather salad ingredients and, if you're going homemade, make your Caesar dressing.
- In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, chicken, croutons, tomatoes, cheese, and dressing. Add Romaine and pepper, and toss again!
Notes
- Pasta options: fusilli, rotini, bowtie, rotelle
- Rotisserie chicken ↔ any chicken, shrimp, steak
- Croutons: any kind, not just “Caesar”
- Cherry tomatoes ↔ grape tomatoes
- Shaved parm ↔ grated parm
- Romaine ↔ spinach, arugula, baby spring mix, iceberg
- Servings note: this recipe serves roughly 8 people, as a side dish (or if kids are eating). As a main course, it serves closer to 6 people.
- Buy a rotisserie chicken for this pasta salad. Take it apart right away, while it’s warm. Separate out 1-2 cups for this recipe and refrigerate the rest for sandwiches, snacks and ready ingredient for other dishes.
- Rinse pasta in cold water after cooking. This helps remove surface starch which can make the pasta stick together.
- This recipe is not set in stone. You can adjust the amount of any of the ingredients OR just eyeball the amounts, e.g. if you like a more heavily dressed salad, decrease the pasta.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
