This Chicken Bacon Avocado Caesar Pasta Salad eats like a meal! Perfect for lunch, dinner and delicious leftovers for days!
A good Caesar salad has always been one of my favorites. When I want to make it more of a meal, I either add some rotisserie chicken or some grilled shrimp. And when I want to make it SUPER hearty, I turn it into a pasta salad. This Chicken Bacon Avocado Caesar Pasta Salad.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a pasta salad here at the BHK. I shared my Gram’s Macaroni Salad this past summer which is Ah-MAZING. If you haven’t tried it, it’s the easiest recipe ever, and I’m never left with even a mouthful after a summer party. My Chicken Pesto Salad is another favorite, as well as my Zesty Twisted Turkey Pasta Salad and my son Sean’s favorite, Antipasto Pasta Salad. They’re all delicious and so incredibly satisfying. Enjoyed with a nice piece of crusty bread and you’ve got a winner of a meal and leftovers for days… if you don’t share. Sharing’s overrated.
I know what you’re thinking. Loaded with mayo, too many calories, this one’s a no-go. Well, relax folks. No mayo in this salad. I’ve opted for a lighter caesar dressing made with some Greek yogurt. Winning!
This Chicken Bacon Avocado Caesar Pasta Salad is a mouthful, but a delicious one at that. It’s chock full of all my favorite ingredients. I used a fusilli corti bucati (similar to a rotini), but use whatever you prefer. Some store-bought rotisserie chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, bacon, avocado, red onion, shaved parmesan, and I went the extra mile and added some roasted grape tomatoes for extra flavor instead of just plain tomatoes. Totally worth the extra step my friends!
So what’s the secret to cooking your pasta when making a pasta salad? You need to cook the pasta a few minutes past the al dente stage on your package directions so that the pasta is soft, not mushy. If you cook it al dente, you will be left with pasta that can be tough, because the pasta will harden a bit as it cools. Take note!
So grab the ingredients today and you’ll have pasta salad for days. Enjoy! Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! XO
- Salad:
- 1 16 oz. box rotini pasta
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small chunks
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan, plus a bit more for garnish
- Dressing:
- 1 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
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Cook pasta 2-3 minutes past al dente stage. Drain.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes on a medium baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and toss to coat. Season with some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until tomatoes soften and just begin to burst. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
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Salad: In a large bowl, combine pasta, romaine, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and parmesan. Drizzle with about half of the dressing and toss to coat, adding more of the dressing if needed. Serve immediately with extra dressing.
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Dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. If you like a thinner dressing add another tablespoon or so of milk until you reach desired consistency.
I’m seriously craving this for lunch right now!!!! I have GOT to try this one, Mary Ann! It looks super good! Love how you roasted the tomatoes and added chicken for extra oomph! Pinned! Have a wonderful week, my friend! XO
It’s such a meal Dawn! Thanks for pinning! XO
It’s been entirely too long since I’ve had a pasta salad, so I’m totally craving this one immediately, Mare! It looks so hearty and delicious, plus I love that you lightened up the Caesar dressing! Gimme gimme! Pinned! Cheers! xoxo
I’ve always got some for you Chey! Have an awesome week!
YUM! I love the idea of turning my favorite Caeser salad into a pasta salad! This will surely make my menu!
Yay! Enjoy it Annie!
Yum, all my favorite things combine in one delicious salad!
Woohoo! Hope you give it a go Chris!
Beautiful! Love Caesar flavours anytime :) This would be great to have in the fridge for lunch or as a side for meat for dinner.
Me too Jennifer!
Perfect timing bc I was craving a good pasta salad yesterday and haven’t scratched that itch yet. I would love to have a big batch of this to eat all week for lunch! Thanks for the inspiration lady!
Scratch it! I know you;ll love this one Karen! Have a great week!
I don’t know if it’s possible for you to have packed any more deliciousness into this salad! Pasta salad in any form is the BEST but add some avocado and bacon and, well, words just can’t even describe it :)
You’re so sweet Kelsie! Thanks so much!
I don’t remember the last time I made a pasta salad. I love the dressing you made and adding roasted tomatoes and bacon adds so much flavor. What a great recipe Mary Ann !
Thanks Gerlinde! I love caesar salads, so making it a little heartier and turning it into a pasta salad totally worked! Have an awesome week!
Oh goodness… this is my kinda salad!
Swap you some for some of your shrimp asparagus pasta???
This is definitely a loaded Caesar salad! Love the addition of chicken and pasta, and that dressing sounds fantastic. I’m not a fan of mayo so I love that you used Greek yogurt! Happy Valentine’s Day Mary Ann!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too Leanne!
That is a pretty fantastic bowl of pasta salad you’ve got there. ????????
Thanks love!
This pasta combines several of my favorite things! Looks so good!
Yay! Hope you give it a go Leigh Ann!
This looks so delicious and satisfying! Great use of Greek yogurt and interesting mix of ingredients especially the roasted tomatoes. This could be an everyday meal because there’s no mayo :) A must-try!
Thanks so much Ashley. Yes, the lighter dressing makes this more diet friendly. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
sounds like a great combo of flavours! and i love your photos. cheers sherry
Thanks so much Sherry! This is one hearty salad!
This is loaded with so many delicious things! Love it!
It really is full of delicious ingredients! So satisfying!
I’ve never seen anything like this! I love it already! Caesar salad is my weakness – this looks like a great way to make it a satisfying meal. Yum!
Hope you give it a go Katherine!
This looks so delicious, perfect lunch idea!
It’s such a satisfying salad Laura!
This looks amazing! I would love to make this to have for lunch at work; much better than my boring sandwiches!
hanks so much! Definitely better than a boring old sandwich!
Oh yes! greek yogurt is my goto for caeser salad and most creamy salad actually. Makes it tasty without making us ride on a guilt trip.
I know right? Now we can enjoy without the guilt!
What a clever idea! I’d never thought to put romaine in a pasta salad, but why not? And yes please on that easy Cesar dressing! Can you hear me smacking my lips! :D
I can hear ya!!
I seriously love pasta salad so much!!!!!!!
Me too!
What an awesome lunch!
It’s so satisfying Jennifer! I love anything caesar!
Caesar salads are one of my favorites too! Turing it into a pasta salad is brilliant. This looks so delicious and hearty enough to fill up my kiddos too.
Yes! It definitely will fill up those teenagers!
I love the Greek yogurt in this! And no, I won’t share!!!
Lol! Then enjoy it all Kevin!!
As a passionate lover of pasta, this salad is a must try, MaryAnn! A perfect combination of nutrient-dense ingredients and an excellent post-workout dish!
Hope you enjoy it Agness!