Can't choose between a chicken Caesar salad and a pasta salad for dinner? Now you don't have to! This pasta salad with creamy Caesar dressing is loaded with juicy chicken, veggie rotini, lettuce, and lots of healthy vegetables! Let me show you how to make this easy dinner recipe perfect for those hot summer nights too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's better than a sudden salad pasta because it's from scratch and made from fresh, healthy ingredients!
- One of my favorite salads for hot summer nights or an easy weeknight dinner!
- Great main dish that goes really well with hot Breadsticks!
Ingredient Notes
- Rotini Pasta - I like to use "veggie" rotini, but any kind of rotini will work just as well. You could also substitute bowtie pasta (farfalle), penne, or ditalini if you prefer.
- Chicken - You can use grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken for this recipe to add extra flavor. I typically just bake and chop up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts to use. Tuna could be substituted for the chicken.
- Romaine - If you're intimidated by cutting a head of romaine, check out this How To Cut Romaine Lettuce for some great visual instructions.
- Caesar Dressing - I love love love Brianna's Asiago Caesar Dressing, but you could make your own Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing if you would like.
- Lettuces - You'll need a head of iceberg lettuce and a head of crisp romaine lettuce. You could also add spinach to your lettuce!
- Peas- Both fresh and frozen are fine. If frozen, you don't need to thaw them first because they thaw pretty quickly once mixed in with the lettuce.
- Croutons - I typically use garlic croutons, but any crispy croutons will do if you want to make your own croutons, check out this recipe for Homemade Croutons.
Step by Step Instructions:
- Cook the veggie rotini according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop up the crisp lettuce and other ingredients.
- Put the chopped and washed lettuce in a large bowl.
- Top with the chopped red onion, frozen peas (no need to thaw), chopped up cooked chicken...
- ...chopped avocado chunks, cooked, drained, and cooled pasta.
- Toss all to distribute.
- Pour the Caesar dressing (I always use Brianna's Asiago Caesar dressing) over the lettuce mix.
- Toss to coat well with the dressing.
- Divide up among 4 dinner plates or low bowls.
- Top with hard-boiled eggs, peas, avocados, parmesan cheese, and croutons!!!
- Devour immediately!
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
What can I put in Caesar salad instead of croutons?
You can omit the croutons altogether, or you could trade them out for some Crispy Chickpeas!
What goes well with this salad?
I'm a sucker for a hot batch of rolls. Try these 90 Minute Dinner Rolls or Soft Oatmeal Dinner Rolls!
Related Recipes
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Best Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad Recipe
Can't choose between a chicken Caesar salad and a pasta Caesar salad for dinner? Now you don't have to! This pasta salad with Caesar dressing is loaded with chicken, veggie rotini, lettuce, and lots of healthy vegetables! Let me show you how to make this easy dinner recipe is perfect for those hot summer nights, too!
Ingredients
- 12 oz Veggie Rotini 12 oz box
- 1 Head Romaine Lettuce
- ½ Head Iceberg Lettuce
- 2 Cups Chicken Cooked and chopped up
- ½ Cup Red Onion chopped
- 12 oz Brianna's Asiago Caesar Dressing 12 oz. Bottle
- 6 Hard Boiled Eggs peeled and chopped
- 1 Cup Frozen Peas thawed
- 2 Avocados peeled, seeded and chopped up
- 1 Cup Parmesan
- Croutons
Instructions
- Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions.
- Rinse with cold water until completely cooled.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop up, rinse, and spin the romaine and iceberg lettuce.
- Put lettuce in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cooled pasta, chopped-up chicken, peas, avocado chunks, and chopped red onion to the lettuce. Toss to mix.
- Add the Asiago Caesar Dressing and toss to mix.
- Divide salad up amongst 4 dinner plates or low bowls.
- Top each salad with chopped-up hard-boiled eggs and extra avocado slices if you wish.
- Sprinkle the salads with parmesan and croutons!
- Serve immediately!
Notes
- Spinach can be added to the lettuce if you choose.
- Any kind of rotini works here. You can even sub penne or bow tie pasta as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 1134kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 51gFat: 82gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 32gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 390mgSodium: 2759mgPotassium: 1323mgFiber: 12gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1997IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 433mgIron: 5mg
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Corrie Wolford
Super easy recipe to follow for someone like me!