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This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a hearty, satisfying meal that’s so delicious and easy to make. Enjoy for lunch or dinner, it’s packed with flavour but is super simple too.
Simplicity is key when it comes to salads. They must be robust and flavour-filled enough to please the whole family’s appetite, but must also be made without too much faff.
That’s where this mouthwatering Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad comes in.
We’re making our own dressing and croutons for this, but make no mistake it’s still simple and quick to throw together (and you won’t regret the extra few minutes they take).
Why you’ll love this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe
⭐️A hearty and delicious salad recipe
⭐️Perfect for lunch or dinner
⭐️ Simple, healthy ingredients
Sarah’s notes
I can’t get enough of a tangy, creamy Caesar dressing, so I thought why not try making a homemade, unprocessed, healthy version to go over a salad that’s satisfying enough to have for dinner?
Of course, you can use a pre-bought dressing if you prefer, but I urge you to give this one a try because it’s so quick. Make it with mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt and a handful of other ingredients you might already have in your cupboard.
We’re swapping the anchovies usually found in Caesar salads for crispy bacon to keep things simple, which still ensures we get that saltiness alongside the creamy dressing and tender chicken breast (but do add anchovies if you want to!)
For the croutons, we’re also going homemade, but don’t worry, it’s not as fancy as it sounds. Simply tear up your bread and bake in the bacon fat for 10 minutes!
Fill up with the addition of your favourite tortellini… Don’t worry, we’re definitely not making this from scratch!
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Ingredients
For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise – Use whichever one you usually get.
- Greek yoghurt – Same goes for this, although full fat will be creamier.
- Lemon – Just the juice.
- Dijon mustard – Only half a teaspoon.
- Garlic clove – Crushed.
- Parmesan – Grated for the dressing.
- Worcestershire sauce – Just a little to get that Caesar tang.
For the salad:
- Chicken breast – We’re cooking 2 for this recipe, but you could also use up any leftover roast chicken too.
- Bacon – I like to use streaky bacon (or regular bacon in the US) as it crisps up really well so we can crumble it into pieces.
- Olive oil – For cooking.
- Bread – You’ll need about 2 thick slices of bread (your choice) to make the croutons.
- Tortellini – Use your favourite flavour of tortellini (cheese or bacon flavours work really well).
- Little gem lettuce – Shred 2 of these up.Parmesan – Sliced, to serve.
How to make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
1. Stir the dressing ingredients together, season to taste then set to one side.
2. Get ready to cook the chicken and bacon on a lined baking tray with a drizzle of oil and season well. Cook as per the recipe below.
3. Remove the meat and toss the cubed bread chunks in any leftover fat. Season and bake.
4. Cook the tortellini, drain and run under a cold tap. Dice the chicken and break the bacon up, then toss everything together in a bowl with the dressing and parmesan to serve.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you don’t serve this as soon as it’s cooked, you’ll find that the dressing absorbs into the pasta and dries out a little. It won’t affect the taste, but you may just want to add a spoonful of extra mayo or yoghurt when you eat it again.
In the freezer Neither pasta nor salad are ideal for freezing, so I probably wouldn’t freeze this, although go ahead if you think it would go to waste otherwise.
Tip
Instead of cooking the chicken, you could use pre-cooked from a batch of Air Fryer Chicken if you’ve been meal prepping. Or the leftovers from a Roast Chicken!
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FAQs
Yes, go ahead. The chicken won’t be as moist but it will still taste good. Just keep the dressing separate until it’s time to serve or it will go a little soggy.
Either! I enjoy it with a little heat still in the meat, but it’s also good if it’s completely cold.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 Lemon, Juice only
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Garlic clove, Crushed
- 3 tbsp Grated parmesan
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Water
For the salad:
- 2 Chicken breasts
- 4 Streaky bacon slices
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Thick slices of bread, Cubed
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Tortellini, See notes
- 2 Little gem lettuces, Shredded
- Parmesan, To serve
Instructions
- Stir the dressing ingredients together, season to taste then set to one side.
- Heat the oven to 200℃ fan/220℃/Gas Mark 7 and place the chicken breasts and bacon on a lined baking tray. Season the chicken with some salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil then cook for 20 minuntes or until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
- Remove the cooked chicken and bacon from the tray and toss the cubed bread in any leftover bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Cook the tortellini to pack instructions then drain and run under a cold tap to cool them down and stop them sticking.
- Dice the chicken and break the bacon up into little pieces.
- Toss the everything together in a bowl with the dressing then serve with some extra parmesan shaved over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this immediately – absolutely yummy! Will definitely be making this again.