Y’all know I love my Caesar ANYTHING! This Kale Caesar Pasta Salad has been added to my love list! One of my all time favorite recipes from my blog is my Chicken Caesar Salad Flatbread Pizzas, a MUST TRY if you haven’t already, and great for grilling! This pasta salad recipe uses the same Caesar dressing which is probably why I love it so much. The flavor is all in the dressing!

This is a great picnic summer salad to bring for a pot luck bbq. It has simple ingredients, but bold savory flavors. I like to use a fun pasta shape that’s not your standard macaroni noodle, but any pasta shape will work great. I like to massage the kale, yes that’s right, massage the kale with a little olive oil for a few minutes with my hands. This helps to break-down the coarse and tough texture that raw kale can have. The olive oil really softens it up.

I top it off with nutty fresh imported Parmesan cheese and crunchy crushed croutons for texture. I used store bought croutons in this recipe, but I often make my own with leftover bread or buns. You can also grab the simple instructions for that in the same Chicken Caesar Salad Flatbread Pizza recipe.

This makes a wonderful side dish to accompany a steak, or you could also add grilled chicken to make it a meal. Makes great leftovers for lunches too!

Make sure to grab that flatbread recipe for a fantastic twist on grilled pizza!

Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish

Servings 6

Author Laura Doerr

Ingredients

8 oz pasta
4 cups kale chopped, stems removed
1 tsp olive oil
shaved Parmesan
salt and pepper
1/4 cup croutons crumbled

For the dressing

1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic minced
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

For the dressing

On a cutting board using a large knife, smash and press together the minced garlic and anchovy paste until mostly smooth, set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks until smooth, whisk in the mustard, mayo, Worcestershire, and garlic anchovy mixture. While still whisking, add in lemon juice, whisk until smooth. Stream in the olive oil while whisking, and continue to whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the vegetable oil, and whisk for another minute until smooth and it begins to thicken.
Whisk in the grated parm and plenty of black pepper. Best if made a couple hours prior to use, or even the night before. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the salad

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook the pasta according to package instructions to al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to cool the pasta. Set aside.
In a medium bowl add chopped kale and 1 tsp olive oil. Using your hands massage the oil into the kale for about 1 minute. This will coat the kale and soften it.
If serving right away, combine the kale, pasta, and dressing. Toss to coat. If not serving right away, reserve some of the dressing to toss in just before serving. Top salad with shaved Parmesan and crumbled crispy croutons.