Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
This Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe is super simple, easy, and takes hardly any time at all. It's full of fresh veggies and chewy pasta, making it a hearty and satisfying meal any day of the week.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For Dressing
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 rounded TB parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 TB lemon juice
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
For Pasta Salad
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed/dried, and torn
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup corn kernels, frozen or canned, drained
- ¼ cup sliced olives
- ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated
- ¼ cup green onions, sliced, for garnish
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
- Make Dressing: In a bowl, combine the garlic, mayo, anchovy paste, grated parmesan, Worcestershire, mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- In a large heavy pot, cook pasta in well salted water just to al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and toss with 1/4 cup of the caesar dressing.
- In a serving bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, olives, and parmesan.
- Drizzle desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add the pasta and gently toss again. Sprinkle croutons and green onions on top.
Notes
- Always cook your pasta in well-salted water to give it flavor. This is your opportunity to season the pasta itself, so don't skimp on the salt.
- When making the dressing, don't be afraid to adjust the seasonings to your liking. Some people prefer a stronger anchovy or lemon flavor, so feel free to tweak the ingredients.
- Rinsing your pasta after cooking is important to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. This will help your pasta salad maintain the right texture and prevent it from becoming too sticky.
- You can prepare the dressing in advance and chill it until you're ready to use it. This can save you time when you're putting the salad together.
- If you're serving the salad later, keep the dressing separate until you're ready to eat. This will prevent the lettuce from wilting and the croutons from getting soggy.
- Save leftover dressing for our Best Creamy Caesar Salad Recipe.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4668IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg