Caesar Salad Pasta
One of my all time favorite things is a Caesar salad, and considering my obsession with pasta, I thought…
Why not combine the two? This dish takes all the components of a Caesar salad—from the dressing to the lettuce—and transforms them into a creamy sauce.
Just finish it off with croutons and Parmesan cheese and you will be seriously addicted to this pasta.
Like seriously—if you need help call 1-800-CAESAR-SALAD-HELP.
Caesar Salad Pasta
servings: 4
Ingredients:
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), more for a topping
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, cut lengthwise into 4 halves
- 1 pound spaghetti (gluten free, if desired)
- ½ cup croutons
Directions:
- Place a large pot of salted water over high heat for cooking the pasta. While it is heating, add the Parmesan, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, and Dijon to the bowl of a food processor and process until combined and smooth.
- Heat a grill pan over high heat. Use a pastry brush to brush the oil over the cut side of the romaine. Working in batches if necessary, arrange the romaine on the hot grill pan and cook until all pieces are slightly wilted and charred on all sides–1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the romaine from the grill pan and coarsely chop the lettuce, reserving some for a garnish. Then add the non-reserved portion to the food processor with the yogurt and puree until smooth.
- Add the spaghetti to the now-boiling water and cook it until it is al dente according to the package directions. When the spaghetti is done, drain it, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water and return the pasta to the pot.
- Add the sauce from the food processor to the pasta, tossing to combine. Then gradually add the pasta water ¼ cup at a time until you get a saucy consistency. Serve immediately topped with the extra parmesan cheese, reserved grilled romaine, and croutons.
