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This Caesar Pasta Salad is everything you love about classic Caesar salad but with the heartiness of pasta! It’s tossed in a homemade creamy Caesar dressing, packed with crisp romaine, Parmesan, and crunchy croutons, and is the perfect side dish or main course. Whether you’re making it for a BBQ, potluck, or easy weeknight meal, this dish comes together in just 20 minutes.

Love pasta salad? Try BLT pasta salad or dill pickle pasta salad next!

caesar pasta salad in a serving bowl.
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Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Quick & Easy Recipe

  • Quick & Easy – Ready in 20 minutes with minimal prep.
  • Versatile – Serve it as a side dish or add chicken, shrimp, or steak for a full meal.
  • Made with Fresh Ingredients – Crisp romaine, tender pasta, and a homemade Caesar dressing that’s better than store-bought!
  • Great for Meal Prep – Make ahead and toss with dressing before serving for the best texture.

Love to switch up classic salads? Try this Burrata Caprese Salad, Peach Burrata Salad, or Grilled Peach Salad.

Ingredients You Need

ingredients for caesar pasta salad on a counter.
Your Shopping List: Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise), milk, olive oil, lemon, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parmesan cheese (grated and shaved), sourdough bread, short cut pasta, romaine lettuce.

Love Caesar salad? Try salmon Caesar salad or brussels sprout Ceasar salad next.

How to Make Caesar Pasta Salad

toasted sourdough croutons spread on a baking sheet.

1️⃣ Make the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the torn sourdough bread with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crispy.

whisking homemade caesar dressing in a bowl.

2️⃣ Prepare the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

caesar dressing on top of pasta salad in a bowl.

3️⃣ Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chopped romaine, shaved Parmesan, and toasted croutons.

caesar pasta salad in a large bowl.

4️⃣ Toss & Serve: Drizzle the salad with desired amount of dressing and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper, extra Parmesan, and chopped parsley.

More Pasta Salads

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5 from 3 votes

Caesar Pasta Salad

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
This Caesar Pasta Salad combines crisp romaine, tender pasta, and crunchy sourdough croutons, all tossed in a creamy homemade Greek yogurt Caesar dressing. With fresh Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon, it’s a light yet satisfying dish perfect for potlucks, meal prep, or an easy dinner. Serve it as a side or add your favorite protein for a complete meal!
caesar pasta salad in a serving bowl with a salad spoon and fork.
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Molly Thompson

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Molly Thompson
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

Caesar Salad Dressing

  • 3/4 cup Greek yogurt or mayo
  • 2 Tablespoons milk any kind
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
  • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Salad

  • 2 cups torn sourdough bread
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces short cut pasta (I used Rotin), gluten-free if needed
  • 6-8 cups romaine lettuce washed and chopped
  • 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese
  • To top: fresh cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan cheese, and/or chopped parsley

Instructions 

  • Preheat then oven to 425°F and brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Toss the cubed sourdough in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes, tossing halfway through.
    2 cups torn sourdough bread, 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
    8 ounces short cut pasta
  • Whisk together the Caesar dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Blend it in a food processor if you want the dressing extra smooth.
    3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 2 Tablespoons milk, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Add the cooked pasta, chopped romaine, shaved parmesan, and toasted crotons to a large salad bowl. Toss the salad with desired amount of dressing. Serve with fresh cracked black pepper.
    6-8 cups romaine lettuce
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Notes

Chicken. Add grilled chicken or baked chicken to the top to make it a meal. You can also add shrimp, grilled steak, or chickpeas.
Pasta. Try orzo or any short cut pasta. Whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta are great options. 
Croutons. If you don’t want to make homemade croutons you can purchase your favorite store bought croutons.
Additional mix-ins: Avocado, Cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, leftover salmon, red onion, cucumber, toasted pine nuts, or olives.
What to Serve it With: a protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, or baked salmon. A side of garlic bread, or extra sides like roasted broccoli and carrots. Or serve it with soup like turkey vegetable soup or sausage lentil soup.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing separate for best texture.
Make ahead: Cook the pasta and prep the dressing up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble before serving.
Traveling with it? If you’re taking it to a party, the dressing off and top and toss right before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.5g | Protein: 19.3g | Fat: 21.8g | Cholesterol: 52.8mg | Sodium: 387mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




1 Comment

  1. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    I made this today for lunch and it was delicious! If eating for a whole meal, this is more like 4 servings instead of 10. I added hard-boiled egg for more protein on mine and it was great. Good tip to get the Tessamae Cesar Dressing.

    Reply