Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad That Tastes Like a Restaurant Tossed It
Warm pasta drinks the homemade Caesar dressing while charred chicken and crispy sourdough croutons turn this into the kind of pasta salad people text back for. Ready in 45 minutes.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Heavy Skillet
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Salad spinner
- Small Bowl
- Whisk
- Microplane
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta (cavatappi or rigatoni)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- 1 head romaine (or 3 romaine hearts)
- 2 cups torn sourdough croutons (from day-old bread)
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
For the dressing
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- cracked black pepper
For the croutons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
- Toss the torn sourdough with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, turning once, until golden and dry.
- Cook the pasta in generously salted water two minutes shy of the package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain. Do not rinse the pasta.
- Mash the anchovy fillets and garlic into a paste. Add the egg yolk, Dijon, lemon juice, and black pepper. Whisk. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly until the dressing is thick and glossy.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high, then cook the chicken 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- While the pasta is still warm, add the finely grated Parmesan and about half of the dressing. Toss until every piece is coated. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if it looks tight.
- Add the torn romaine and toss gently, just until the leaves are coated.
- Slice the chicken on the bias. Smear a spoonful of the remaining dressing across the bottom of a wide serving bowl. Pile in the pasta, layer the chicken over the top, place the shaved Parmesan in one corner, and arrange the croutons in a loose pattern. Finish with lemon zest and a crack of pepper.
Notes
If you want leftovers, store the dressed pasta, chicken, romaine, and croutons in separate containers and assemble at the table. The dressing keeps in a jar for 5 days. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and bread. For dairy-free, skip the Parmesan and add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the dressing. The dressing will break if you pour the oil too fast — add a teaspoon of warm water and whisk hard to bring it back.