The Caesar pasta salad is a great side dish to bring to a potluck party or serve at home any time of year, indoors or out.
Caesar salad is delicious and goes well with so many main entrees. However, lettuce these days is something people worry about and doesn't always hold up for long at a party. So today I'm sharing a pasta salad that easily serves 12 or more for a side dish and has all the flavors of a classic Caesar salad.
Instead of lettuce, I used broccoli for extra crunch and color, and a few cherry tomatoes. I like to slice the tomatoes in half so they can soak up the sauce and are easier to eat.
More Pasta Salad Recipes: Greek Pasta Salad.....Blue Cheese Pasta with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- short pasta (cavatappi used here)
- broccoli florets
- cherry tomatoes
- croutons
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice and zest
- dijon mustard
- worcestershire sauce
- anchovy fillets, or anchovy paste
- garlic
- parmesan cheese, grated
- black pepper
- parmesan cheese shavings for garnish
Caesar Pasta Salad Dressing
This dressing is made with a couple of anchovy fillets. You can also use a teaspoon of anchovy paste. Either works, and if you think you may use it up within the next few months, the paste may be the way to go.
I also used mayonnaise; however, you can go with eggs and olive oil or make your own homemade mayo. Again, some may be wary of using raw eggs in a recipe, and the mayo works well with pasta salad.
Also, if you have a particular bottled store-bought Caesar salad dressing you love, you can certainly use it as well.
Lastly, I used cavatappi pasta that's ribbed so that it holds the dressing, and it's fancy looking. However, you can use any short pasta such as penne, fusilli, bowtie, shells, or macaroni instead.
It comes together easily and keeps well in the fridge for a few days in case there are any leftovers. However, I doubt there will be.
Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta
- 10 ounces of broccoli florets, approx. 2 cups
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 ounces croutons, approx. 1 cup
Caesar Pasta Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup lemon juice and zest, approx. 2-3 lemons
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 anchovy fillets, or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Parmesan cheese shavings for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Boil and drain pasta to al dente.
- Microwave or boil broccoli florets and drain well.
- Combine the pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
- Make the dressing by combining the garlic and anchovies in a food processor. Blend well.
- Add mayo, lemon juice, zest, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Blend well.
- Scrape down the sides and add in the Parmesan cheese. Blend again.
- Toss the dressing over the pasta and broccoli.
- Fold in the tomatoes and croutons.
- Top with Parmesan shavings.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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