this gluten free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad It’s the perfect make-ahead lunch, BBQ side, or dinner any night of the week. It’s loaded with grilled chicken, dairy-free Caesar dressing, crispy romaine lettuce, bacon, and ripe summer tomatoes.
Easy Gluten-Free Pasta Salad Recipe
i always love a good Caesar Salad. It has been one of my favorites since I was a kid.It’s really about that amazing cream caesar dressing. Well, of course, I want to turn a classic salad into a pasta!i love mine too Chicken Caesar Quinoa Salad, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Burgersand Grilled Caesar Salad with Black Shrimp!
So that’s what I did.
Pair a creamy sauce with crispy romaine lettuce, salty-crisp bacon, luscious summer tomatoes, perfectly grilled chicken, and tender noodles, and you’ve got the perfect meal.
materials needed
- Caesar Dressing: We make our homemade Caesar dressing with mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, anchovy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Salt and Pepper: Add some simple seasoning to your chicken before grilling.
- bacon: You can cook the bacon however you want.i like to cook it in the air fryer.
- chicken breast: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. I like to cook it on the grill, but you can do it however you want.
- lettuce: My favorite is romaine lettuce. Be sure to wash and chop the lettuce first.
- spaghetti: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta. Or, if you’re not gluten-free, use your favorite regular pasta.
- tomato: The halved cherry tomatoes have the perfect texture.
- Lemon, Salt and Pepper: Finish off the Caesar Pasta Salad with a little extra flavor.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This Chicken Pasta Salad takes 30 minutes total!
- Make the dressing: In a blender combine mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined, then adjust as needed and set aside.
- To cook the chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper, then grill 8-10 minutes per side. Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into cubes and set aside.
- To cook the pasta: Make pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, then place in a large bowl.
- Assembly and service: In a bowl, combine pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken. Pour dressing over top and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and serve.
Is Caesar Dressing Gluten Free?
Some store-bought Caesar dressings may contain gluten. To avoid trying to figure out what works, I just want to do it myself!
This gluten-free pasta salad contains Homemade Caesar Dressing That’s naturally gluten-free. It’s also dairy-free without compromising creaminess and flavor.
How do you keep gluten-free pasta from getting mushy?
There are a few things you can do to keep your pasta from getting mushy as it sits:
- Cooked al dente. Slightly undercooked pasta has more structure, so it holds up better in the sauce.
- rinse it. Rinse pasta in cold water immediately after cooking to stop the cooking process and keep it perfectly al dente.
- Add some oil. Coat each piece of pasta with a thin layer of oil to create a barrier so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- Serve immediately. The longer the pasta sits in the dressing, the mushy it will become. Once the Caesar Pasta Salad is fully assembled, serve immediately or as soon as possible.
Tips and Precautions
- Use small pasta shapes. I like to use rotini in this recipe, but if you decide to use another pasta shape, make sure it’s the smaller one. Small pastas blend better into salads.
- Chop up everything that is a similar size. Cut all ingredients to roughly the same size so you get a little bit of each bite.
- If you have leftover cooked chicken, You can totally use it instead.I like to make this pasta salad after whipping up a batch of pasta Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.
- Serve immediately. Once Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is fully assembled, it’s best served right away.
- To make it ahead of time, You can cook the pasta, cook the bacon, make the dressing, chop the veggies, and store them individually in the freezer until you’re ready to assemble.
- If you want your salad to be creamier, Just add extra dressing!
- Make it vegan. Set the chicken aside or use a meatless chicken substitute.
- Don’t like anchovies? It doesn’t matter. You can ignore it. Although, it’s a very typical Caesar flavor.
service suggestion
I love this warm or room temperature Caesar Pasta Salad. Cold compresses work too, but I don’t think that’s as good.
You can have it as a meal, served with Gluten Free Garlic Bread Or as a side dish:
how to store
A fully assembled gluten-free pasta salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serve again, bring to room temperature, and enjoy!
More Summer Treats You’ll Love
More Pasta Salads
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise homemade or store bought
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice Divided into
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 clove garlic broken
- pinch fine sea salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pieces bacon Cooked
- 1 pound. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 head of lettuce washed and roughly chopped
- 1 16- ounce Pack Gluten-Free Pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to try
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Make the dressing: In a high-speed blender combine mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, anchovy sauce, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse once or twice until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
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Season chicken with salt and pepper, and grill 8-10 minutes per side, until no pink remains. Cut into cubes and set aside.
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Make pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain and place in a large bowl.
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To assemble: Add pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken to a large bowl. Pour over dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt, pepper and a little fresh lemon juice. Serve warm or room temperature.
- If you want it creamier, make extra dressing!
- You can also use rotisserie chicken!
Serve: 1/6 RecipeCalories: 460kcalcarbohydrate: 13.5Gprotein: 37.8Gfat: 28.1GSaturated fat: 7.3Gsodium: 1100mgfiber: 2.1Gsugar: 3.1G
