Our Favorite Caesar Pasta Salad.
This is our favorite caesar pasta salad! Made with my homemade greek yogurt caesar dressing, it’s a simple dish that can be a great starter salad, side dish or main base for chicken, steak, seafood or chickpeas. Super flavorful and easy too!
Our love for caesar salad knows no bounds!
And this version, an extra summery, satisfying classic caesar with the addition of tender pasta and toasty sourdough bread crumbs is at the top of the list.
It’s the perfect caesar, with crisp romaine lettuce, my homemade greek yogurt caesar dressing, lots of parmesan, golden sourdough crumbs and a whole bunch of cooked pasta tossed in for the ultimate seasonal side dish. You have got to make this!
Yes, it’s true. I share a LOT of caesar salad meal ideas, from kale salad, to slaw, to chicken wraps, to broccoli and brussels, to pizza, to asparagus and sandwiches and so much more. It’s one of my family’s favorite flavor combinations and I’ve found that in general, it’s pretty loved by everyone else too! It’s universal over here in my tiny food universe.
And it’s also ridiculously easy. There isn’t a salad much simpler – this only requires a chop of romaine, a grate of parmesan, maybe some toasting of breadcrumbs and a whirl of dressing in a mini blender or bowl. Caesar salad is very kid-friendly in our house, probably because there are no other crunchy vegetables or new ingredients. Nothing that stands out and screams “I’m new here and you have to try me!” for those little hands and eyes and mouths.
Except the pasta. Which is anything but new, because my kids would live on only pasta if they could.
Let’s also talk about what a fantastic base this is. Whether you’re making it for dinner, as a salad for a dinner party or as a potluck dish to take to a summer BBQ, you can easily make it your own. I can’t tell you how many times I have added grilled chicken or salmon to this. Add in some steak or shrimp or even tofu and of course, I’ve thrown in chickpeas too!
It’s a great salad for those who don’t like to eat all their food combined in one big bowl. If you find yourself in that routine at dinnertime, where your kids don’t want their foods to touch on their plates, this is another amazing option. The pasta and salad can be served separately and if you’re add in the protein, so can that. It’s perfect!
And yes, I know, I talk about this dressing ALL THE TIME. I make it so often that it’s such a staple in my fridge. We use it for nightly salads, dipping sauces, even wraps. And it’s one of the only creamy dressings that I really love on salad, so that is saying something. It’s very flavorful with lots of lemon, parmesan and even a touch of anchovy paste, which I encourage you to keep in the recipe because it adds an incredible savoriness. And you squeeze it out of a tube, which means you don’t even have to touch it!
This is one of those recipes that is really quite simple. It doesn’t require a recipe at all, aside from the dressing. Basically, figure out how many people you need to feed and determine your ingredient amounts from there. You can make it more pasta heavy, more lettuce heavy, serve it as a side dish or a main dish.
But it’s also one of those recipes that I can’t live without. We make this ALL the time. I can’t stress that enough. It’s in the permanent rotation, for both our weeknight meals and our parties. I hesitate to share easy dishes like this sometimes. But it’s one that I think everyone should have in their back pocket. Especially all my fellow caesar lovers!
Our Favorite Caesar Pasta Salad
Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 slices sourdough bread, torn into pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 10 to 12 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- kosher salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 to 2 cups cooked pasta
greek yogurt caesar dressing
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ lemon, juiced
- kosher salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the sourdough pieces with a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing often, until they are golden and toasty and crisp. Turn off the heat.
- Place the romaine in a large bowl and toss with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the caesar dressing. Add in the finely grated parmesan. Toss the lettuce well so everything is coated. Add in the cooked pasta and toss it well, adding more dressing if you would like. Toss until everything is combined and well coated.
- Top with the shaved parmesan and the sourdough croutons. Serve with extra dressing and more parmesan cheese. You can use this as a base salad for chicken, steak, salmon, chickpeas, etc.
greek yogurt caesar dressing
- To make the dressing, add the garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender and blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. (This may make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days and stir well before using.)
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3 Comments on “Our Favorite Caesar Pasta Salad.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this but it was really good! I know from making the dressing previously that I find the dressing to be too acidic so I cut back on the vinegar and the lemon juice and its perfect. Also subbed gluten free pasta and leftout the croutons.
We loved this! I made chicken thighs to go with it and it was perfect for the whole family. The dressing is great!
This was so delicious! However next time I’ll only do 2 garlic cloves in the dressing 4 was way too overpowering… but my new go to salad!!!