Ready in 30-minutes, this easy chicken Caesar pasta salad is the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch! Made with crisp romaine lettuce, bowtie pasta noodles, shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover chicken work great to make it extra speedy!) and my quick  homemade Greek yogurt Caesar dressing, this balanced meal packs 25g protein making it filling and satisfying too. 

A close-up of Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, seasoned croutons, lemon wedges, and grilled chicken in a wooden bowl.

One of the most frustrating nutrition myths I hear as a dietitian is that pasta is bad for you. In fact carbs are our bodies preferred source of energy! But one thing that’s often missing from pasta dishes is protein and fiber to balance those blood sugars and keep us full longer. 

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Not this perfection of a chicken Caesar pasta salad. 

Not only is it fresh, creamy, and delicious, but with the crisp romaine lettuce adding fiber, and around 25g protein per serving from the chicken and my quick high-protein Caesar dressing it’s a complete balanced meal in a bowl you’ll feel great after eating too! 

A plate of bowtie pasta salad with romaine lettuce, croutons, shredded chicken, and a lemon wedge sits next to a wooden bowl filled with more salad. A gold fork rests on the plate.

Tips From My Dietitian Test Kitchen for THE Best Caesar Pasta Salad

Bowls filled with Chicken Caesar pasta salad—greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, bowtie pasta, shredded cooked chicken, and chopped romaine lettuce—arranged on a light pink surface with a plate of lemon wedges. Each ingredient is labeled.

No anchovies or raw egg in the dressing: I love my Greek yogurt caesar dressing for this recipe. It’s made with a base of Greek yogurt (I like 5% for the smoothest flavour) and I’ve left the anchovies and raw egg out to keep it super simple with ingredients you’ve probably got on hand, and loved by even the pickiest eaters with no concerns about food safety! 

Don’t skip the croutons! I originally tested this recipe without the croutons but it just didn’t have that true classic Caesar salad vibe! Even just 1 cup made a huge difference to get some extra crunch and seasoning sprinkled throughout. If you’re in a pinch, a sprinkle of panko breadcrumbs also does the trick! 

Choose a Pasta with some nooks and crannies: I like bowtie pasta for this salad, but you can really use any noodle you like. My only advice is choose a noodle with some cracks and crevices to pocket all that creamy dressing goodness! Rotini and fusili work great too! 

*pro-dietitian tip: I like to use a high fiber noodle like Catelli’s Smart pasta to make it even more filling, or you could use a protein noodle if you like too! 

Let’s Make This Craveworthy Pasta Salad

A hand holds a glass bowl filled with thick, creamy white mixture speckled with small black and white flecks, against a pale pink background.
Whisk up the Caesar dressing
A wooden bowl filled with bow-tie pasta, shredded chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, and topped with a generous drizzle of creamy white dressing.
Dump the pasta, chicken, salad dressing, and lettuce in a bowl and toss.
A plate of pasta salad with bowtie pasta, lettuce, croutons, shredded chicken, and a lemon wedge, served with a fork. A larger bowl of salad, grated cheese, and lemon wedges are nearby on a light pink surface.
Top with croutons, lemon and more grated parm for good measure

While you can totally meal prep this salad, I do prefer it fresh but I’ve popped some tips in the recipe card to help it stay fresh if you are prepping it ahead of time! 

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A close-up of Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, seasoned croutons, lemon wedges, and grilled chicken in a wooden bowl.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing 

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  • Author: Lindsay Pleskot, RD
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Lunch, Mains, Meal Prep, salad
  • Method: Boiling
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Ready in 30-minutes, this easy chicken Caesar pasta salad is the perfect quick dinner or meal prep lunch! Made with crisp romaine lettuce, bowtie pasta noodles, shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover chicken work great to make it extra speedy!) and my quick  homemade Greek yogurt Caesar dressing, this balanced meal packs nearly 25g protein making it filling and satisfying too. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 190g (~3 cups) bowtie pasta or your favorite pasta noodle
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken but any leftover chicken or this juicy baked chicken works great too!)
  • 1 x Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
  • 6 cups romaine lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For serving

  • Lemon wedge
  • Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and set aside. (I enjoy this pasta salad both warm and cold, but if you prefer it cold, allow noodles to cool completely before adding the other ingredients).
  2. In a large bowl or sealable storage container, add the cooked pasta, chicken, salad dressing, lettuce, and salt. Toss to coat everything well.
  3. Top with croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and enjoy!

Notes

I find this salad is best eaten fresh, but here are a few tips for the best leftovers!

Keep the lettuce crisp: If you’re prepping this more than 24 hours in advance, store the romaine separately and toss it in just before serving. This keeps that fresh crunch (no soggy salad here). 

Add crunch at the last minute: Croutons are best added right before eating so they stay nice and crunchy. 

Reheating: This salad can be eaten hot or cold. As mentioned above, for leftovers, store the lettuce and croutons separately . Heat up the pasta salad and then toss with the lettuce and croutons right before eating. 

Refresh before serving: Like most pasta salads, the pasta will naturally absorb the dressing over time. If you find the leftovers dry, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or drizzle of olive oil and toss before eating. I also find if you heat it up, it helps the dressing loosen back up too!