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Caesar Pasta Salad made for a crowd or a potluck.

Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar Pasta Salad has all of the traditional flavors of a chicken Caesar salad with a flavorful mixture of Caesar dressing and Italian dressing mix that clings to the ridges of Rotini noodles
Servings: 12 servings
Chef Alli
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
marinating time (optional) 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 8 oz. rotini pasta cooked to al dente according to package directions
  • 1 tablespoon dry Good Seasons Italian dressing from a packet
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 medium head Romaine lettuce rinse, dried and chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups Olive Garden Garlic and Romano croutons home made or store bought
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast optional
  • 1 1/2 cups Olive Garden Original Caesar Salad Dressing, or to taste divided use

Instructions
 

  • Place the cooked and cooled pasta into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the pasta with dry Good Seasons Italian dressing and about 1/2 cup of the bottled Caesar dressing; toss gently. Cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
    8 oz. rotini pasta, 1 tablespoon dry Good Seasons Italian dressing from a packet
  • When you're ready to serve the salad, add the grape tomato halves, chopped lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and chicken (if using) to the marinated pasta in the large mixing bowl.
    1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 medium head Romaine lettuce, 2 cups Olive Garden Garlic and Romano croutons, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast
  • Add the remaining 1 cup of dressing (or to taste) and toss gently to combine all the ingredients. Serve at once.
    1 1/2 cups Olive Garden Original Caesar Salad Dressing, or to taste

Notes

Recipe Tips 
You may substite any shape of pasta for this salad, but I love how each bite of rotini is so flavorful because the dressing can attach itself into each one of the ridges of the pasta.
To make assembly of this salad especially fast, use the meat from a store-purchased rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken. Any fully-cooked chicken works great, whether shredded with your fingers or chopped with a knife.
If your family prefers, you can substitue other fully-cooked meats for the chicken, such as leftover grilled steak, pork tenderloin, or salmon. My gusy also enjoy chopped, cooked bacon added to this salad along with the chicken, but to me that's not a traditional Caesar salad.
To easily cut the head of romaine lettuce, pull all the leaves apart; wash and dry. Place each leaf on top of the others in a stack on a cutting board. Using a long knife, slice the stack of lettuce leaves lengthwise into strips, then cut across the strips into bite-size pieces. The lettuce can be stored in a gallon bag that has paper towels enclosed to absorb moisture.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 12gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 602mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 396IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg
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