Who doesn’t love pasta salad with a summer meal? But there’s so much more you can do with this than just the traditional Italian or Ranch dressing. But if you have a bottle of your favorite Caesar dressing around and you want to try something different, this is a great way to make a heartier and more robust pasta salad. Italian favorites like artichokes and fresh sweet grape tomatoes really kick this up, and if you wanted to you could go nuts and add in some chopped up pepperoni or salami, or some nice roasted chicken! I definitely suggest chilling it for a while before serving to let all the flavors meld and kind of come out of their shell. The shredded Parm adds some nice texture, but if you can’t get it grated will be just fine.
Try to use a good Caesar dressing here since its such an important part of the dish, something that has real anchovies in it will help a lot. If you don’t like their flavor you can help cover it up with a bit more fresh lemon juice or garlic. Oh, and while you’re at it, since this is a Caesar pasta salad, feel free to add in some kale for nutrition and a lovely green color.
Serves 8-10
- 1 12 oz bottle Caesar dressing
- 2 packs cooked farfalle
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 can marinated artichokes, chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped, or 1 8oz pack grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta until it’s to your liking, usually 10-12 minutes in boiling salted water. Rinse it with cold water until it’s cooled off. Combine the Caesar dressing, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add the tomato, artichokes and onion and mix them into the dressing before finally adding the pasta. Serve chilled garnished with parsley, shredded Parmesan and grape tomatoes.
