Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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Gimme some Oven

Total Time

45 minutes

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Rating

(3)

Ingredients

6-8 servings

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound uncooked pasta (I used farfalle)
3 Romaine lettuce hearts (12 ounces), roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups Caesar dressing*
Parmesan cheese, for topping
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

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Preparation

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Step 1

Prep the pasta water. Bring a large pot of generously-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Step 2

Cook the garlic breadcrumbs. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the breadcrumbs along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and set aside. Wipe down the sauté pan briefly until clean.

Step 3

Cook the chicken. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Using the same sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice it into bite-sized pieces.

Step 4

Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in the salted water until just al dente. Strain the pasta through a colander, then rinse it with cold water until chilled.

Step 5

Toss the pasta salad. Add the pasta, lettuce, chicken and Caesar dressing to a large mixing bowl and gently toss until evenly combined.

Step 6

Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with the garlic breadcrumbs, lots of Parmesan cheese, and a few extra twists of black pepper. Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 hours and then serve chilled.