Recipe Background
A delightful fusion of pasta and classic Caesar salad, perfect as a flavorful side or main course.
It's a pasta salad with the salad part amped all the way up! Fusilli Caesar Salad has everything you could want from a classic Caesar salad: fresh and crisp romaine lettuce, homemade crunchy and zesty croutons, and a creamy, tangy dressing with plenty of umami goodness. But of course, it also bulks up the plate with tender, spiral-shaped pasta, perfect for making sure you don't miss even the littlest bit of that dressing (is there a purer joy than homemade salad dressing? We don't think so). Fusilli Caesar Salad simultaneously brings out the best of the picnic side dish and the salad course favorite, so it's like two parties for your tastebuds at once!
Ingredients
For the croutons:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (12-count) package Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls diced into 1-inch cubes
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 anchovy fillet optional, rinsed, drained, and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- kosher salt to taste
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the butter, the parsley, the oregano, the basil, and the garlic powder.
- Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Toss the cubes with the olive oil mixture until everything is coated.
- Bake the bread cubes until crisp and golden, about 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, 1/3 cup of the parmesan, the lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, the Worcestershire sauce, the anchovy, the garlic, the salt, and the pepper.
- Taste the dressing for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the fusilli pasta in the boiling water to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and allow it to cool.
- Place the romaine lettuce in a large bowl and top it with the pasta, the remaining parmesan, the salt, and the pepper.
- Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve the salad with the croutons.
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