Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Name: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Prep time: 34 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 56 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ lb (about 3 medium breasts) (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry, pounded to an even ¾-inch (2 cm) thickness if needed; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ tsp (1½ g) garlic powder; ½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons; ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated; 2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, grated to a paste; 2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard; 2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp (5 g) anchovy paste (optional); 2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 12 oz (340 g) dried penne; 1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water; 4 quarts (3800 ml) water, for boiling the pasta; 2 hearts (about 10 oz) (300 g) romaine hearts, washed, thoroughly dried, cut crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons (about 6 cups); 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved (optional); ¾ cup (60 g) Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler; 1½ cups (45 g) garlic or Caesar croutons

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender penne, juicy grilled chicken and crisp romaine are tossed in a creamy, garlicky homemade Caesar dressing, then finished with shaved Parmesan and crunchy croutons just before serving.

Prep: 34 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 21 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous main-course servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken
1½ lb (about 3 medium breasts) (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry, pounded to an even ¾-inch (2 cm) thickness if needed
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
For the dressing
½ cup (115 g) mayonnaise
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons
½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, grated to a paste
2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard
2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp (5 g) anchovy paste (optional)
2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For the salad
12 oz (340 g) dried penne
1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water
4 quarts (3800 ml) water, for boiling the pasta
2 hearts (about 10 oz) (300 g) romaine hearts, washed, thoroughly dried, cut crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons (about 6 cups)
1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
¾ cup (60 g) Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1½ cups (45 g) garlic or Caesar croutons

Equipment (8)

Large pot (6-quart / 5.7 L) for the pasta
Grill, grill pan or large cast-iron skillet (12-inch / 30 cm)
Instant-read thermometer
Large mixing bowl (5-quart / 4.7 L or bigger)
Medium bowl and whisk for the dressing
Colander
Cutting board and sharp knife
Fine grater or Microplane

Steps

Before you start

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine; wet leaves water down the dressing.
Chicken breasts vary in thickness. If one is thicker than about 1 inch (2.5 cm), pound it to an even thickness so it cooks evenly.
Add the romaine and croutons only at the end so they stay crisp.
Have an instant-read thermometer ready to check the chicken.

1
Season the chicken
- Pat the chicken breasts very dry with paper towels.
- Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle evenly on both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper and ½ tsp garlic powder.
- Let the seasoned chicken sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you start the next step.
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Ready when: Surface of the chicken looks evenly coated with seasoning
Tip: Dry chicken sears and browns; wet chicken steams.
2
Whisk the dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, finely grated Parmesan, grated garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire, anchovy paste (if using), milk and ½ tsp black pepper.
- Taste: it should be tangy, savory and garlicky.
- Add a pinch of salt only if needed, since the Parmesan and anchovy are salty.
- Cover and refrigerate until needed.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, pale and pourable, like thick heavy cream
Tip: Grate the garlic on a Microplane so there are no raw chunks.
3
Boil the penne
- Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) water and 1 tbsp kosher salt to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Add the penne and stir right away.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes, or 1 minute less than the package directions.
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Ready when: Penne is tender with a slight chew in the center when bitten; no hard white core
Tip: Pasta will keep softening as it absorbs dressing, so do not overcook it.
4
Grill the chicken
- Heat a grill, grill pan or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Cook the chicken 5–6 minutes per side without moving it, until deep golden grill marks form and it releases easily.
- Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer: it must read 165°F (74°C).
- Cook 1–2 minutes more if needed.
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Ready when: Golden-brown with grill marks, juices run clear, thermometer reads 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Resist pressing down on the chicken; that squeezes out the juices.
5
Rest the chicken
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes so the juices redistribute.
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Ready when: Chicken is warm, not steaming, and little juice runs out when cut
Tip: Slicing right away leaves a puddle of juice on the board instead of in the chicken.
6
Drain and cool pasta
- Drain the penne in a colander and rinse under cold running water for about 30 seconds, tossing, until no longer hot.
- Shake well and let drain for 10 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the pasta is cool and dry on the surface.
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Ready when: Pasta feels cool to the touch with no water dripping
Tip: Warm pasta absorbs the dressing and wilts the romaine; make sure it is fully cooled.
7
Slice and prep
- Cut the rested chicken against the grain into ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices, then cut the slices into bite-size pieces.
- Cut the romaine into 1-inch ribbons if you haven't already, and halve the cherry tomatoes if using.
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Ready when: Chicken pieces are uniform and bite-size
8
Dress the pasta
- Add the cooled penne to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in about ¾ of the dressing and toss with a large spoon until every piece is evenly coated and glossy.
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Ready when: Penne is evenly coated with no pools of dressing at the bottom
Tip: Hold back the last ¼ of the dressing to refresh the salad after it sits.
9
Assemble and serve
- Add the chicken, romaine, tomatoes (if using) and half of the shaved Parmesan to the bowl.
- Toss gently, adding more dressing a spoonful at a time until the salad is creamy but not soupy.
- Top with croutons and the remaining shaved Parmesan, and serve right away.
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Ready when: Romaine is crisp and bright green, croutons are on top and still crunchy
Tip: Add croutons at the last moment so they stay crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Salt the pasta water generously; the pasta is the main seasoning base of the salad.
Chill the dressing for at least 15 minutes if you have time; the garlic flavor mellows and blends.
If the salad tastes flat, add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of pepper rather than more salt.
For smoky flavor, char the cut sides of the romaine hearts on the grill for 1 minute before chopping.

Make ahead

"Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Cook, cool and toss the pasta with half the dressing and sliced chicken up to 1 day ahead; store covered in the fridge. Add the romaine, remaining dressing, Parmesan and croutons just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten the day it is assembled. Fully assembled salad keeps covered in the fridge up to 1 day, though the romaine and croutons will soften. Undressed components (pasta, chicken, dressing) keep refrigerated for 3 days. Serve cold or let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes; do not leave out longer than 2 hours. Not suitable for freezing."

Substitutions

dried penne → rotini, fusilli or farfalle. Use the same weight; shapes with ridges or twists hold the dressing well.
anchovy paste → an extra 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Gives a similar savory depth if you skip anchovies.
mayonnaise → plain full-fat Greek yogurt. Lighter and tangier; you may need 1 extra tbsp milk to loosen it.
boneless, skinless chicken breasts → boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook to 175°F (79°C) for the best texture; they take about 2 minutes longer per side.