Caesar Pasta Salad

stabbing in the back not included

For lunch this week, I wanted something quick, and my mom requested a salad. It can be hard for my dad to eat a salad at face value, so I compromised and made a pasta salad instead. This is a Caesar salad pasta with homemade Caesar dressing. I made homemade Caesar dressing a couple of months ago, and I liked it more than the bottled dressing you find at grocery stores. So, with that said, let’s make it!

Notes

• Chickpeas: I used these Biena chickpea snacks flavored with everything seasoning. I saw these at Whole Foods and decided to give them a try. Results? I don’t think I would eat them by themselves as a little snack, but I did like them in the pasta salad. They added a little crunch and a different texture than the croutons in the salad. I also used these as the protein for this salad. Buy again? Yes and no. If I was making this pasta salad again, the answer is yes. If I wanted a snack, I would not be reaching for these.

  

• Anchovies: If you don’t want to use anchovies, you can sub it out for anchovy paste. I enjoy using anchovies because I think it makes the Caesar dressing taste better, and I like to give my dogs any excess anchovies left in the tin.

• Caesar Dressing: The Caesar dressing takes about 5 minutes to make. It’s really simple, especially if you’re using a food processor because you can throw everything in there, and it’ll be ready.

Recipe

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 8 oz cooked pasta (pasta shape of your choice)

• 1 cup croutons

• 5 oz chickpeas (optional)

• ¼ cup parmesan, more for garnish

• Black pepper to taste

Caesar Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 anchovies

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup heavy-duty mayo (I use Kewpie)

• ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated

• Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

For the Caesar Dressing:

1. In a food processor, add all the Caesar dressing ingredients and pulse together until everything is combined.

2. This dressing can be stored for up to a week.

3. Divide the dressing into four dressing containers.

For the Pasta Salad:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, cooked pasta, croutons, chickpeas, and parmesan.

2. Season the salad with salt and pepper.

3. Garnish with extra parmesan.

   

Storage & Assembly:

1. Divide the pasta salad into four meal prep containers.

2. Divide the Caesar dressing into four salad dressing containers.

3. When ready to eat, toss the dressing into the salad, close the lid, and shake until the dressing is evenly dispersed.