With each of my pregnancies I have craved caesar salad big time. This pasta salad replaces the traditional croutons with cooked pasta making it a more hearty side dish than your traditional Caesar salad. This is a great side dish or bring along for picnics and potlucks. By using mayo (or yogurt) I eliminate the traditional egg yolk in a Caesar dressing and give this version a longer shelf life.
To make this #dinnerdoneby9am I place the salad ingredients in a bowl and make the dressing, refrigerate them separately, then toss prior to serving.
Salad
-romaine lettuce, torn or chopped
-parmesan cheese, either shredded or shaved off of a block using a veggie peeler
-desired cooked pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
Dressing
-1 clove garlic
-1/2 c olive oil
-1/2 c mayo or yogurt
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 Tbsp sugar
-1 Tbsp Dijon
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-dash hot sauce
To prepare dressing, mince garlic in a blender or food processor. Add remaining dressing ingredients and puree until smooth. Chill dressing until serving, will keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Toss salad ingredients with desired amount of dressing and serve.
