Julius Caesar Pasta Salad

It’s quick. It’s easy. It makes traditional meat-and-potatoes types raise their eyebrows. Ladies and gentleman, it’s Caesar Pasta Salad! Get it? ‘Cause it’s salad...with noodles in it...no? Ok, moving along. 

You could really get creative with the concept of pasta salad. Hate pasta? First of all, we can't be friends (Just kidding, we can have a lively debate on the subject and then go out for coffee). Second of all, you could easily use brown rice (sounds weird, I know. Trust me), couscous, or quinoa.  

Prefer a more Mediterranean flair? Add red peppers, cucumbers, olives, and use tzatziki as dressing. 

Watching your calories? Use a home-made vinaigrette, leave out the cheese, and go heavy on the lettuce. 

The substitutions are limited only by your imagination! Have fun with it, and leave your feedback.

Happy eating!

-Nat

Serves 4-5 depending on the size of pigs-I mean people at your dinner table

You will need:

1 lbs pasta-I had rotini laying around 

1/2 lbs bacon cooked, drained and chopped 

~3/4 c. loosely packed Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 small hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped 

~1 c. Caesar dressing (my fave is the Litehouse Aged Romano Caesar) 

Fresh cracked black pepper

Cherry tomatoes, halved (optional) 

Pickled onions (also optional)

Bake or fry your bacon until it’s crispy, and allow it to drain and cool.

Boil pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain and allow this to cool also; or rinse with cold water if you’re short on time.

In a large bowl, combine romaine and 1/2 of the dressing. Mix it up.

Add your pasta and the remaining dressing, and keep mixing. You could add and combine everything all at once but I find doing it in stages is a little easier. And cleaner.

Next add the bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. Give it one final stir and top with pickled onions. Maybe even some croutons if you like them.

If you want a little extra protein, you could easily add shredded chicken breast, or shrimp.

All "~" denote approximate, or "to taste" measurements.