If you’re looking for healthy and delicious high-protein recipes, you’re going to love this Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe. It comes together in just 30 minutes, stores well as meal prep, and has over 44 grams of protein per serving.
Looking for a fun and satisfying take on a Caesar salad? Then you need to try this Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe! It’s everything you love about the classic but with a delicious pasta salad twist.
This simple recipe is a must-try no matter if you’re looking for something to bring to a summer BBQ, a high-protein meal prep recipe, or are just craving all the delicious flavors of a caesar.
It combines hearty kale, juicy chicken, crispy chickpeas, and nutty parmesan all tossed with tender pasta in a homemade creamy caesar dressing. Every single bite is packed with flavor!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s something about the simplicity of a caesar salad that, when done right, works so perfectly. If you’re looking for a slightly heartier alternative, you need to try this caesar pasta salad recipe.
It has all the flavors you love from a classic caesar but with the addition of delicious pasta.
This version has juicy grilled chicken, fresh kale, and crunchy chickpeas all tossed in a homemade greek yogurt caesar dressing.
Great as a side dish, a complete meal, or to bring to summer BBQs. It also makes the perfect meal prep option because the hearty kale holds up well in the fridge!
Here are some of the reasons we think you’ll absolutely love this recipe:
- Protein-Packed – With over 44 grams of protein per serving, this caesar pasta salad recipe is sure to keep you full and energized for hours.
- Healthy – From the full serving of kale to the crispy chickpeas and the greek yogurt dressing, you can feel confident knowing you’re fueling your body with the good stuff.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – A great meal prep recipe that can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Customizable – Swap the protein, add different veggies, or make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken.
Love Caesar salad? Try my High-Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap. It takes 25 minutes to prep and has 35 grams of protein per wrap.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
Just like the classic salad, this caesar pasta salad recipe focuses on simple, flavor-packed ingredients.
For The Salad
- Fusilli Pasta – This recipe calls for fusilli, but any medium-sized pasta shape will work.
- Grilled Chicken Breasts – Juicy grilled chicken breasts make this caesar pasta salad recipe a complete meal.
- Kale – Finely chopped kale is one of the stars of the show and holds up well in the fridge, making this recipe perfect for meal prep.
- Shaved Parmesan – Finely shaved parmesan adds the classic nutty and salty flavor we all love in a caesar.
- Crispy Chickpeas – A healthy swap for croutons, crispy chickpeas add a lovely crunch and an addition of fiber and protein.
For The Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
- Greek yogurt – Traditional caesar dressing has a mayo base, but for a slightly lighter and higher-protein swap, you can use greek yogurt for an equally creamy and tangy dressing.
- Parmesan cheese – It just wouldn’t be a classic caesar dressing without a healthy portion of parm.
- Dijon mustard – A good dollop of dijon mustard adds a bit of a kick to this classic dressing.
- Anchovy paste – Totally optional, but anchovy pasta adds a delicious, almost imperceptible umami flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – Hard to pronounce, but a necessary addition to any caesar dressing.
- Lemon juice – Lemon juice adds much-needed freshness and zing.
- Garlic – For the slightly spicy flavor we all love.
For another meal-prepable Caesar recipe, try my Caesar Dense Bean Salad. Similar flavors but with beans as the base of the salad.
How to Make Caesar Pasta Salad
This easy caesar pasta salad recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and requires only a couple of simple steps.
- Bake the Chickpeas – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain, rinse, and thoroughly dry off the chickpeas. Add them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil, paprika, and chili flakes. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until crispy for a healthy take on homemade croutons.
- Grill the Chicken – Butterfly and lightly pound your chicken breasts until they reach an even thickness of about half an inch. Generously season each side with salt. Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Pan fry the chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool, then dice into small pieces.
- Cook the Pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and ensure the noodles don’t stick together.
- Prepare the Kale – Remove the stems and finely chop your kale. Add to a large mixing bowl with the drained al dente pasta and chicken.
- Make the Caesar Salad Dressing – In a food processor, add half the block of parmesan and pulse until it has a finely grated consistency. Add the remaining caesar dressing ingredients and pulse until evenly combined. Taste and season to your liking.
- Assemble – Add the creamy homemade caesar dressing to the pasta, kale, and chicken and toss until evenly combined. Top with freshly shaved parmesan, crispy chickpeas, and black pepper. Enjoy!
Save this recipe
Love this recipe? Get it sent to your inbox.
Variations & Serving Ideas
While this kale caesar pasta salad recipe is perfect as it is, there are some fun ways to mix it up and make it your own:
- Use Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken – To save a little time and effort, you can easily swap the grilled chicken breasts for shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Vegetarian – Leave out the chicken and double up on the chickpeas or add crispy tofu bites.
- Add Crumbled Bacon – Bacon is a classic pairing with caesar salad and works wonderfully in this caesar pasta salad recipe as well.
- Turn Up The Heat – Sprinkle with chili flakes or add a spicy seasoning blend to your chicken for a spicy blackened chicken.
- Creamy Twist – Toss in diced avocado for a delicious creamy addition.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
This caesar pasta salad recipe is a great make-ahead recipe because it stores wonderfully in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For the freshest result, store in an airtight container. It’s up to you whether you want to pre-dress everything or leave the dressing on the side until serving.
To ensure the chickpeas stay crispy, store them on the side and top just before enjoying.
Hungry for more pasta salad recipes? Check out 10 High-Protein Pasta Salad Recipes, each with 20+ grams of protein per serving.
FAQ
Curly kale and lacinato kale work great! Lacinato kale is a little sweeter and more tender and curly kale is a bit more crunchy.
Definitely. Shredded rotisserie chicken skips the grilling step and works just as well. About 2 cups of shredded chicken will match what’s called for in the recipe.
Short pasta with ridges or twists. Fusilli is what I use, but rotini works great too. The creamy caesar catches in all the grooves. You really can’t go wrong here just opt for one that’s medium-sized, not huge and not tiny.
Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Save this recipe
Love this recipe? Get it sent to your inbox.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bake the Chickpeas – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain, rinse, and thoroughly dry off 1 can chickpeas. Add to a parchment lined baking sheet and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp smoked paprika, salt & pepper (to taste) and a sprinkle of chili flakes. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until crispy.
- Grill the Chicken – Butterfly and lightly pound 3 boneless chicken breasts until they reach an even thickness of about half an inch. Generously season with salt on each side. Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Pan fry the chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool then dice into even-sized pieces.
- Cook the Pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 1 lb fusilli pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and ensure the noodles don’t stick together.
- Prepare the Kale – Add 4 cups finely chopped kale to a large mixing bowl with the drained al dente pasta and chicken.
- Make the Caesar Salad Dressing – In a food processor, add half of a 8 oz parmesan cheese wedge and pulse until it has a finely grated consistency. Add 1½ cup plain greek yogurt, 3 small cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp anchovy paste, and 1 lemon, juiced to the food processor. Pulse until evenly combined. Taste and season to your liking.
- Assemble – Add the caesar dressing to the mixing bowl with the pasta, kale, and chicken. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Shave the remaining parmesan over the salad and top with the crispy chickpeas, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Nutrition
Pin this Recipe
Save this Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad to Pinterest so you can easily find it again later.
Such a classic. All the flavors of a classic kale caesar in pasta salad form.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Great recipe! Would recommend keeping the chickpeas separate from salad if you will be storing the salad for future use. The chickpeas will loose their crunch if added and tossed into that salad
So happy to hear you liked it, Jolene 🙂