Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This chicken caesar pasta salad is a twist on a classic caesar salad, but loaded with pasta of course! Starting with a homemade, creamy Caesar dressing, we tossed mini farfalle with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons and freshly shredded pecorino romano, then topped off the dish with juicy, grilled chicken. It’s all the traditional taste, intertwined with the cutest little bow-tie pasta.

Why you’ll love this caesar pasta salad
This recipe is a classic, and everyone will love it. It works very well for large groups, serving up to 16! Plus, it makes for a light yet filling meal, great for summer lunches. It’s both refreshing and hearty, making it seriously perfect for hot summer days, but we think it could also make an appearance at one of our pre-season football gatherings.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this BLT pasta salad, and this Mexican street corn pasta salad and this lemon orzo salad. This frog eye salad, is a sweet dessert pasta salad – go ahead give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
Searching for more pasta salad recipes? Greek tortellini salad / shrimp macaroni salad / Italian chopped salad / sun dried tomato pasta salad

Ingredients & substitutions
- Mini farfalle pasta – Any type of smaller pasta will work for this recipe, it doesn’t have to be mini or bite sized – we would recommend avoiding a long macaroni noodle like spaghetti or fettuccine.
- Romaine lettuce – We chopped up a head of romaine lettuce for the recipe, but you can grab a bag of chopped romaine in the premade salad section of the grocery store to save you some time.
- Caesar salad dressing – We have an amazing recipe listed below for a homemade caesar dressing, but if you have a favorite you can use that, just measure out 1 ¾ cups of the dressing.
- Pecorino romano – You can use either grated or shredded, we opted for shredded for this salad, just so you can really taste the bite of the cheese.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this caesar pasta salad with grilled chicken.
Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted water, boil your pasta according to the package directions for al denté. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside to cool. Don’t rinse the pasta to cool it, this removes all the salty, starches from the pasta.
Grill the chicken. Pat dry the chicken breasts and liberally season with salt and pepper. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill the chicken breasts for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the grill and allow the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice or chop into bite sized pieces, and set aside the cool.
Make the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth. If you are serving right away, set aside. If you are prepping for serving later, transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Mix up the salad. Combine salad ingredients, including cooled pasta and grilled chicken, into your largest mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to distribute the dressing throughout the salad. Top with additional shredding cheese and fresh, cracked black pepper to serve.
Make ahead note: If you are prepping this salad to be served later, you can mix everything except the lettuce, croutons and dressing. You will want to wait until 15 minutes prior to serving before dressing the lettuce and croutons – otherwise they will get soggy.

Frequently asked questions


Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
This chicken caesar pasta salad is a twist on a classic caesar salad, but loaded with pasta of course! Starting with a homemade, creamy Caesar dressing, we tossed mini farfalle with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons and freshly shredded pecorino romano, then topped off the dish with juicy, grilled chicken. It’s all the traditional taste, intertwined with the cutest little bow-tie pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce package mini farfalle
- 1 pound grilled chicken breast
- 6 cups (9-ounce package) romaine lettuce
- 2 cups croutons
- ½ cup shredded or grated pecorino romano cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta, according to package directions for al denté. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside to cool. You want to avoid rinsing to cool if possible.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- When ready to serve, combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad contents and stir to until dressing is well distributed throughout the salad. Adjust salt & pepper to taste and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta Salads
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 340.7 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.5 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 11.3 g
- Cholesterol: 27.9 mg
