Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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As much as I love to plan a big dinner party on the weekend or invite friends over for an epic happy hour after work, I have learned over the years that so many of my favorite meals with friends end up being the totally spontaneous ones. You know, those that begin with the last-minute text, or the impromptu knock on the door. The unexpected, “Hey, I’m in the neighborhood and wondered about stopping by!” Or, “Are you free? I really need to someone to talk to.” Or, “Hollaaaaaaaa, it’s wine-o-clock!!!”

I’ve gotten much better about being the spontaneous texter myself over the past few years. But I’ll admit — the super-planner in me still hesitates for a split second in those moments when I’m the one on the receiving end, especially since I have this crazy habit of trying to squeeze 7.1 million things into my days and always have a very clear idea of how I’d like to spend my next hour or two. But when spontaneity literally comes a-knockin’, experience has taught me again and again to keep an open mind and let my heart make the call. And more often than not, the choice is a no-brainer:

“Come on over!”

I may or may not have ingredients on hand to whip up a gourmet meal. But my friends all know that there’s always a box of Bota in the fridge, and plenty of popcorn in the pantry. And on a lucky day, there just might be enough random ingredients on hand to cobble together some semblance of a meal…like I did last week with this yummy Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad. :)

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

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Description

This chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe is tossed with my favorite dressing, al dente pasta, garlicky breadcrumbs and loads of Parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients

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Pasta Salad Ingredients:

• 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

Garlic Breadcrumbs Ingredients:

• 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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Instructions

1. Prep the pasta water. Bring a large pot of generously-salted water to a boil over high heat.
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.
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.
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.
5. Toss the pasta salad. Add the pasta, lettuce, chicken and Caesar dressing to a large mixing bowl and gently toss until evenly combined. 
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.

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Notes

Caesar dressing amount: If using my homemade Caesar dressing recipe, please note that you’ll need to make a 1.5 batch to yield 1.5 cups.

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