Hot Honey Caesar Pasta Salad
Cavatappi, grilled chicken, chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan tossed in a creamy hot honey Caesar dressing. The cookout side that goes first every time.
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 oz dry cavatappi
- 1 lb cooked chicken, sliced or shredded
- 1 large head romaine, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan
Hot honey Caesar dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp Mike's Hot Honey, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tbsp anchovy paste (or Worcestershire sauce)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook cavatappi in heavily salted boiling water, 1 minute less than al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until fully cooled. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- Make the dressing: whisk lemon juice, zest, Dijon, grated garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper. Let sit 1 minute. Whisk in mayo and Greek yogurt, then Parmesan and hot honey. Stream in olive oil slowly while whisking until glossy. Taste and adjust.
- Combine cooled pasta and chicken in a large bowl. Pour two-thirds of the dressing over and toss to coat. Rest 10 minutes.
- Right before serving, add romaine and cherry tomatoes. Pour remaining dressing over and toss gently.
- Transfer to a platter. Top with shaved Parmesan, a drizzle of hot honey, and cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Make-ahead: store dressed pasta and chicken separately from the romaine, tomatoes, and Parmesan for up to 4 days. Toss together right before serving.
- To revive leftovers: drizzle with olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and a little more hot honey before serving.
- For a lighter version: use all Greek yogurt in the dressing and skip the chicken. About 520 calories per serving.
- Anchovy paste substitute: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, one-to-one swap.