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Chicken Caesar pasta salad:

Who doesn’t love a good Caesar salad? And I decided to combine my love for pasta salad and caesar salads into one. It is a great prep ahead meal, easy to throw together, and perfect for a send off to summer.

Ingredients you will need:

  1. Pasta of choice, I used Jovial Foods Gluten free Fusilli 
  2. Romaine lettuce
  3. Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano cheese
  4. Primal Kitchen Foods Caesar dressing
  5. Chicken breast
  6. Primal Kitchen Foods Balsamic Vinegar dressing
  7. Salt and pepper
  8. Garlic powder
  9. AWGBakery Grain free Everyday bread (or any type of bread you use, or buy store bought croutons)
  10. Ghee or avocado oil
  11. Primal Palate Amore seasoning

How to prepare the pasta:

Cook the pasta according to package. But be sure to not overcook the pasta or else you will end up with tough and chewy pasta salad. And once it is done cooking, drain the water, and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further. Pour the pasta into a large bowl while you prepare the rest of the items.

Prepping the air fried chicken breast:

First, butterfly or tenderize your chicken to create a thin even chicken breast. Add to a dish with the balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and let it marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Spray your air fryer pan with avocado oil and add two chicken at a time to pan, and cook 370°F for 6-8 minutes on each side. Or until you reach internal temperature of 165°F, cook time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breast. And once you have cooked the chicken breast let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

And if you don’t have an air fryer, don’t worry. You can either bake or pan fry. Cook time may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breast. Or if in a time crunch, pick up a rotisserie chicken and chop.

Making the grain free croutons:

Making homemade croutons are super easy. And I love that I can use my favorite grain free croutons to keep this dish gluten free. But if you don’t want to make your own, feel free to pick up your favorite store bought croutons. Simply add chopped bread, melted ghee, seasonings, and mix. Bake 400°F for 20 minutes and if you want extra crispy, broil for a couple minutes.

Putting the pasta salad together:

And once everything is prepped, add it all to a large bowl, pour the Caesar dressing into the mix, and mix. Let it chill for 30 minutes and serve.

Can I meal prep this in advance?

Yes! But I would suggest keeping everything separate to prevent everything from getting soggy. And when you plan on enjoying mix it all up and serve.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz box of your pasta of choice
  • 2 cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 8.5 oz jar Primal Kitchen Foods Caesar dressing or any type of Caesar you like
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Air fried chicken breast:

  • 2 chicken breast
  • 1/2 a 8.5 oz jar Primal Kitchen Foods balsamic and vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Grain Free Croutons:

  • 4-5 slices AWGBakery Grain free bread or any type of bread you use
  • 2 Tbsp melted ghee or any oil you use
  • 2 Tsp Primal Palate Amore seasoning sub about 1/4 tsp of each:oregano, chili flakes, garlic powder, Thyme, basil, parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Instructions for pasta:

  • Cook your pasta according to pasta
  • Once pasta is done cooking drain water and rinse with cold water to stop from cooking
  • Transfer to a large bowl with romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese
  • Add chopped chicken, croutons, and caesar dressing, and mix
  • Let pasta salad chill for at least 30 minutes and serve

Instructions for air fried chicken breast:

  • Butterfly your chicken breast to create a thin even chicken layer
  • Marinate your chicken breast with balsamic and vinegar, salt and pepper, and garlic powder for at least 30 minutes at room temperature
  • Add chicken breast to a greased air fryer and cook 370°F for 6-8 minutes each side or until you reach internal temperature of 165°F
  • Let your chicken breast rest for 5 minutes
  • Chop chicken and add to the bowl with pasta, romaine lettuce, cheese, and add the Caesar dressing, and mix

Instructions for croutons:

  • Add bite size pieces of chopped grain free bread to a baking dish lined with parchment paper
  • Add ghee/oil, seasoning, and mix
  • Bake 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking half way through, can broil a couple minutes to get extra crunchy