I’m so excited to share my Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe with you! It’s a cool, creamy twist on a classic Caesar — tender chicken and salty Parmesan tossed with mini penne and creamy Caesar dressing. It’s easy to make ahead, great for potlucks, and tastes like summer in a bowl.
Level: Easy
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes (mostly chilling)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours (chilling to let flavors meld)
Yield: 10 servings
Course: Salad / Side or Main
Cuisine: American
I make this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad whenever I want something that’s light, filling, and ready to feed a crowd. It combines the familiar flavors of a Caesar — romaine’s crispness, salty Parmesan, and tangy creamy dressing — with pasta and chicken so it stands up as a main dish or a hearty side. You can make it with leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or quickly poached breasts. Chill it for a couple hours so the flavors relax and marry together — that’s when it really shines.
This version is simple and forgiving, and I’ll explain every step so it’s quick to follow even if you’re not used to prepping salads for a group.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This salad is made in a few clear steps:
• Cook the mini penne until just tender, then cool it so it doesn’t soak up too much dressing.
• Stir together pasta, cooked chicken, diced bell pepper, red onion, grated Parmesan and chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra richness.
• Toss everything with creamy Caesar dressing, chill for at least 2 hours, then serve.
It’s a make-ahead-friendly dish that tastes better after resting.
Ingredients
• 1 (16-ounce) box mini penne pasta
• 1½ pounds cooked chicken, chopped (rotisserie or roasted chicken works great)
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped red onion
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional but nice for texture)
• ½ (8-ounce) bottle creamy Caesar dressing, or more to taste
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• Optional: chopped romaine or a handful of chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
- Cook the pasta:
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the mini penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still a little firm to the bite (about 6–8 minutes — check package instructions). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta. Drain well. - Prep the mix-ins:
• While the pasta cooks, chop your cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Dice the green bell pepper, finely chop the red onion, grate the Parmesan, and chop the hard-boiled eggs. - Combine:
• Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add the chopped chicken, bell pepper, Parmesan, red onion, and chopped eggs. - Dress the salad:
• Pour the creamy Caesar dressing over the pasta mixture (start with about half the bottle and add more if you like it extra creamy). Toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. - Chill and marry flavors:
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Chilling lets the dressing soak into the pasta and the flavors blend. - Finish and serve:
• Before serving, give the salad a gentle toss. If desired, stir in a handful of chopped romaine for extra crunch or sprinkle additional grated Parmesan. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Process Details
• Why rinse the pasta: Rinsing with cold water stops the cooking process and cools the pasta quickly so it doesn’t continue to soften or absorb all the dressing.
• Chicken choice: Rotisserie chicken is an easy shortcut and adds great flavor. If you roast or poach breasts yourself, let them cool before chopping so the salad doesn’t get watery.
• Eggs for richness: Chopped hard-boiled eggs add creaminess and make the salad more filling — they’re optional but I like them for texture.
• Dressing amount: Start with less dressing and add more as you taste; some store-bought dressings are thicker or saltier than others, so adjust to preference.
• Resting time: Chilling for at least 2 hours gives the best flavor. If you need to serve sooner, even 30 minutes helps, but it won’t be as cohesive.
Tips for Success
• Cook pasta al dente: Slightly firm pasta holds up better in a chilled salad and won’t turn mushy after refrigeration.
• Dry ingredients well: Drain and pat chicken and pasta to avoid a watery salad.
• Cut veggies uniformly: Evenly sized pieces make the salad pleasant to eat and distribute flavor evenly.
• Customize the crunch: If you like extra texture, stir in croutons right before serving so they stay crisp.
• Make it ahead: This is a great make-ahead salad — it often tastes better the next day. Keep any extra croutons or crisp lettuce separate until serving.
• Lower-sodium option: Use a low-sodium dressing or reduce added salt if you’re watching sodium.
Serving Ideas
• Serve as an easy main at a picnic or potluck with crusty bread.
• Offer as a side alongside grilled vegetables, steak, or shrimp.
• Plate over a bed of romaine for a hybrid Caesar-meets-pasta salad.
• Pack into lunch containers — it’s filling and travels well.
Storage & Freezing
• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The salad will stay safe longer, but pasta absorbs dressing over time and will soften.
• Freezing: Not recommended. The texture of pasta and dressing changes after freezing and thawing.
Nutrition Info (Approximate per serving — 1 of 10 servings)
• Calories: ~382
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Protein: 26 g
• Cholesterol: 102 mg
• Sodium: ~210 mg
(These values are estimates based on the ingredient amounts and may vary with brand choices and portion sizes.)
My Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is an easy, make-ahead crowd pleaser — familiar Caesar flavors with the comfort of pasta and the heartiness of chicken. It’s flexible, quick to put together, and perfect for warm-weather meals or any time you want a simple, satisfying dish that feeds a group. I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) this as much as I do.