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Over-the-Top Pasta Salad

ChickenPotluckIndependence Day

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

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About

This Over-the-Top Pasta Salad goes over the top by also being a chicken Caesar salad! Yes, that's right. The tender pasta is mixed in with all the Caesar salad classics like crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, and tender, savory chicken bites. Of course, it's all brought together with a homemade creamy and tangy Caesar dressing. Why restrain yourself with boring pasta salads when you can go beyond with Over-the-Top Pasta Salad?

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Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) package medium shell pasta
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 anchovy fillets, optional, rinsed and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more, to taste, for serving
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1 cup, shaved, divided
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked and diced
  • 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 cups croutons, homemade or store-bought

Directions

Step 1 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the pasta and cook it 1 minute beyond al dente, according to the package directions.

Step 2 -Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.

Step 3 -Allow the pasta to cool.

Step 4 -In a large bowl, add the olive oil, the garlic, the anchovy fillets, the capers, the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, the Worcestershire sauce, the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and whisk until smooth and well-combined.

Step 5 -Add the mayonnaise to the dressing mixture and whisk until well-combined.

Step 6 -Add 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan cheese and the whole milk to the dressing mixture and whisk to combine.

Step 7 -Add the cooled pasta to the large bowl with the dressing mixture and toss lightly to combine.

Step 8 -Add the chicken, the lettuce, the remaining shaved parmesan, and the croutons and fold to combine.

Step 9 -Serve topped with the extra black pepper.

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