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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Pasta Caesar Salad

Stacey – April 20, 2021 – 9 Comments

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Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowl
You know, it always seems the best restaurants are the ones that aren’t around anymore. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that not being able to have something when you’re craving it makes you want it even more. But that’s for the psychologists to figure out. 

What I do know is that there used to be this great little locally-owned spot that had some really unique and delicious dishes – and I miss it terribly. In addition to some delicious bread and killer strawberry cake, the owner made this super delicious caesar salad that had bowtie pasta in it. She called it her Pasta Caesar Salad and it was one of my favorite things she made. It was romaine, bowtie pasta, parmesan cheese, croutons, a delicious and tangy caesar dressing, and she topped hers with chicken. The bold flavors and varying textures were just amazing. 

Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowlI hadn’t thought about this salad for years and somehow was reminded about it a few weeks back. I set out to recreate her dish and we’ve had it 3 times in the last few weeks. It’s super simple, but crazy delicious. I’ve served it as a side dish, but have also made it a main course by adding some sliced grilled chicken to the top. 

Yeah, at first pasta in a caesar salad seems a little strange, but one bite and you’ll see just how genius it really is. 

Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowl A few things to keep in mind:

A seriously delicious caesar dressing is a must for this. You can grab your favorite at your local grocery store or you can make my ridiculously easy but wickedly delicious homemade caesar dressing to kick it up. This dressing is SO delicious. Easy Creamy Caesar Dressing being mixed in a bowl

It’s important to not overcook your pasta for this. You’ll want to follow the instructions on your pasta to only cook it to al dente. Mushy pasta just won’t be a great texture for this salad.

While in most dishes, especially hot ones, you wouldn’t want to rinse your pasta because the starch on it helps the sauce stick to the pasta, in this case it’s something I always like to do. Rinsing it in cool water helps to stop the cooking process, keeping it from getting too soft. It also washes away excess starch which means the pasta won’t stick together while it rests. 

Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowl This recipe can certainly be made in advance, but with a few alterations. To start, don’t mix it all together until right before you serve it.  You can make the dressing a few days in advance and just store it in the fridge in an airtight container. You can also prep the lettuce the day before, if you’re using a head of romaine – otherwise, the bag will be ready and waiting.

With the pasta, you can cook it in advance and rinse it really well in cool water. Then you can toss it with a little dressing or even a small amount of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Then store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Then when it’s time to serve it, just toss it all together, add the cheese and croutons, and you’re good to go! 

Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowl
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5 from 6 votes

Recipe Card

Pasta Caesar Salad

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 to 6
Author Stacey Little | Southern Bite

Ingredients

  • 10 to 12-ounces uncooked bowtie pasta
  • 1 (9-ounce) bag chopped hearts of romaine (or 1 large romaine heart - washed and coarsely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup caesar dressing (get my dressing recipe)
  • 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup croutons
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta to al dente in salted water according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse in cool water until pasta is cool. Drain well. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, toss the hearts of romaine with the pasta, dressing, parmesan cheese, and croutons. Add additional dressing, if desired. Add salt and generous amounts of freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Toss again and serve immediately.

Notes

Get my Easy Creamy Homemade Caesar Dressing recipe: https://southernbite.com/easy-creamy-caesar-dressing/
Pasta Caesar Salad with cheese in a bowl
Did you make my Pasta Caesar Salad?I'd love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @southernbite, and use the hashtag #southernbite!
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Pasta Caesar Salad - collage image for Pinterest 

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Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

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  1. Katrina

    July 12, 2022 at 2:52 pm

    It is a keeper everyone loved it went back for seconds will be on the menu a lot on these hot summer days

    Reply
    • Stacey

      July 12, 2022 at 3:01 pm

      Perfect! Love hearing that!

      Reply
  2. Barb

    April 6, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Loved the pea salad.love all your recipes seeing that I’m from ga.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      April 7, 2022 at 8:11 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Brenda S

    May 19, 2021 at 5:50 am

    Give this 5 stars

    Reply
  4. Brenda S

    May 19, 2021 at 5:49 am

    Made this salad and it was great do easy to make. Added extra lemon juice to dressing to thin a bit and it was still awesome.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      May 19, 2021 at 9:24 am

      So glad it turned out great for you!

      Reply
  5. Linnie

    May 10, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    This Pasta Caesar Salad is wonderful. The pasta gives it just the right amount of texture to make it great. I made your dressing too and I’ll never buy store bought Caesar again. I did leave the anchovy paste out, but I don’t think that mattered at all. It was yummy. My husband really like it too. Next time I’m going to put some grilled chicken on it like you suggested.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      May 11, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      Fantastic! I’m so glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!!

      Reply

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Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

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About Cookbook Shop Contact
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