It’s like cobb salad, but with pasta.
My Caesar cobb pasta salad is basically a combination of my three favorite kinds of salad: pasta salad, cobb salad, and caesar salad. It’s one of my go-to spring and summer dinner recipes. The best part? It’s great for gut health. How do I consider such a robust salad “good for gut health,” you ask? Here are my criteria:
- Salads should never be boring, and enjoying your food is essential for gut health. This pasta salad has everything a healthy gut microbiome needs: fiber, good fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and even probiotics (from the dressing and pickles).
- Organic, non-GMO, bronze-cut pasta for the best texture and taste. If you prefer gluten-free options, brown rice pasta is also a flavorful choice. If you want even more protein and fiber, bean-based pasta is also fun.
- homemade probiotic salad dressing. For this pasta salad, I went with my Greek yogurt Caesar dressing. Homemade dressings help avoid unnecessary ingredients often found in store-bought versions. A probiotic salad dressing can also support digestion. Parmesan vinaigrette is another favorite choice.
Probiotic Caesar Salad Dressing
I think my Greek Yogurt Caesar is the way to go for this cobb pasta salad. You can also try my Probiotic Parmesan Vinaigrette dressing. Or you can try it with your favorite store-bought dressing. Seriously, the Greek Yogurt Caesar only takes 10 minutes max to throw together, so give it a try!
Caesar Cobb Pasta Salad for Summer
For me, nothing says spring and summer like pasta salad. This recipe makes a great full dinner all on its own. It’s loaded with protein and fiber, and it serves four people. Would recommend eating it outside for a picnic or meal prepping for a work lunch. (see instructions below)
I must include a note on lettuce here: I don’t recommend romaine or iceberg lettuce in this cobb pasta salad. Not all lettuce is created equally, and imo romaine and iceberg are not the best for pasta salad. Find yourself some nice fresh butterhead lettuce if you can. If not, sub with mixed salad greens.
The Best Pasta to Use
You can use any pasta shape you like. However, I highly recommend elbows, penne, or fusilli. These pasta shapes catch the dressing so well, making each bite have an even flavor. And, as I said above, choose organic, non-GMO, bronze-cut pasta. High-quality pasta truly makes a difference. What’s pictured here is Rummo Fusiloti, which I would recommend.
Meal Prepping Cobb Pasta Salad
This pasta salad serves 4 at 1x. So you can totally meal prep it. It lasts great in the fridge for 3-4 days. Here are some meal prepping tips:
- Cook your pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
- Chop and mix all the ingredients, except the dressing, with the pasta.
- Divide the finished pasta salad evenly into four separate airtight containers. This makes grab-and-go lunches or dinners easy throughout the week.
- Store the dressing in small, airtight containers on the side. Add about two tablespoons per serving when ready to eat to keep the pasta and vegetables fresh.
Chicken Caesar Cobb Pasta Salad
I basically combined a cobb salad with a caesar salad, and added some pasta and fermented pickles. In other words, it’s the best pasta salad ever. Perfect for any spring or summer dinner.
- Prep: 25 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, dry
- 3 slices bacon, cooked and rough chopped
- 12 ounces grilled chicken breast, sliced (or sub rotisserie chicken)
- 2 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fermented pickles, chopped*
- 1/2 an avocado, cubed
- 1 small head of butterhead lettuce, washed, torn*
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
Instructions
- Prep the chicken, bacon and boiled eggs. Simple grilled chicken breast or rotisserie chicken work great. I like to boil my eggs for exactly 9 minutes then rinse under cool water.
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
- While your pasta cooks, prep the tomatoes, shallots, pickles, avocado, lettuce and feta.
- Make the Greek Yogurt Caesar if you haven’t already.
- Drain the pasta when it is done cooking.
- Add everything to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Please leave a five-star review if you loved this easy recipe!
Notes
- A note on lettuce: I don’t recommend romaine or iceberg lettuce for this salad. They’re just not the best greens imo. You can sub the butterhead lettuce with mixed salad greens if necessary.
- To meal prep: combine everything except the salad dressing. Divide into four equal portions and store in air-tight containers in the fridge. Add two tablespoons of dressing right before eating.
- Fermented pickles: if you don’t have any fermented pickles, you can sub with store-bought pickles, or chopped sauerkraut.
