Name: Caesar Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 oz penne pasta; 2 oz romaine lettuce (chopped); 4 oz grape tomatoes (halved); 1 cup croutons; 1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing (like Simply Marzetti); 1 1/2 oz shaved parmesan cheese

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Everyone needs that one delicious side dish that they can be famous for and this can be yours! Get adventurous with this Caesar Pasta Salad and impress everyone with this fresh take on a classic favorite!

Caesar Pasta Salad in a white bowl topped with shaved parmesan cheese

This tasty little side dish has just been hanging out secretly being a part of my meal plan service for the past couple of years and I decided it was one of a select few that needed to live here on the blog and be a part of everyones lives! With just 6 ingredients and less than 30 minutes, it’s a recipe that you should really have in your back pocket for the next time you get invited to a tailgate or potluck. It’s also quite tasty to whip up for a simple family dinner. Caesar Pasta Salad is a little bit pasta, little bit salad, and a whole lot of delicious!

How do you make a cold pasta salad?

The key is in cooking the pasta and allowing time for it to cool to room temperature. You don’t want it cold, because it will stick together, but you don’t want it hot, because it will make the other ingredients runny or make them wilt, so it’s important to cool the pasta to room temperature before mixing everything together.Another important key for this particular pasta salad is to allow it a little time once mixed up to let the flavors meld together. On the other hand, this one will only keep as leftovers for a day or so because of the lettuce, so just be mindful in how much you are making.

tomatoes, lettuce, croutons and cheese atop pasta in a bowl to mix for Caesar pasta salad

caesar dressing being poured over ingredients for caesar pasta salad

What dressing is in pasta salad?

Anything from homemade dressing to your favorite bottled variety will do! In this version, I use a bottled Caesar and in my Southwest Pasta Salad I use totally homemade dressing. If you use bottled, just read the ingredients carefully and steer clear of any overly processed ingredients and stick to high quality dressings. The ones you can find in the coolers in the produce case are usually your best options.

tossing together ingredients for caesar pasta salad using tongs in white bowl

Caesar Pasta Salad is delicious with:

Enjoy!! And grab a pair of my favorite tongs from Amazon to help you toss up this salad!