Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combines tender pasta with parmesan, crispy bacon, juicy chicken, croutons, and crunchy romaine before drizzling them with caesar and ranch dressings. It's perfect for summer and makes a great meal prep option for work lunches.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts or tenderloins, diced
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning like cajun, lemon pepper, etc.
- 8 strips bacon diced
- 1 box rotini or other short pasta like fusili
- 12 ounces romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan freshly shredded (plus more for topping)
- 1/2 cup garlic butter croutons partially crushed
- 1 teaspoon salad supreme seasoning, or to taste Perfect Pinch brand
- 1/2 cup caesar dressing
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional Homemade Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves small garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces liberally on all sides with your desired seasoning, I use cajun or lemon pepper.
- In a skillet over medium low, add in the diced bacon. Cook until crispy on both sides, remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the grease. Remove most the bacon grease from the skillet.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook the chicken about 3-4 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente according to package instructions. Strain pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, add cooled pasta, chicken, bacon, parmesan, salad supreme seasoning, and dressing. I don't advise adding in the croutons or romaine to the entire bowl if you plan to have leftovers, romaine will wilt in a few hours and croutons get mushy.
- To serve, top with some extra parmesan and salad supreme seasoning.