Caesar pasta salad

Caesar pasta salad

For this recipe, I made a mayo-based, vegan caesar dressing and tossed it through lettuce, radicchio (optional but recommended) and warm pasta. I tenderize the leaves a little to start with by slathering it with the dressing, and letting it rest for a short while, mainly just while the pasta cooks. Hearty and bold, the salad can also hang around a while so perfect for days when everyone gets hold at different times (hello school year!) or for taking to a potluck.

The lettuce could be replaced with any type of leafy green – kale is a great sub, but you could also use thinly shaved cabbage or brussels sprouts. I make my own breadcrumbs from stale bread – if you don’t have any, and you need to use something store-bought, I recommend buying packets of crunchy seasoned croutons and then crushing them.

Serves 6

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Quick caesar dressing

• 1/2 cup plant based or regular mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon caper brine (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• sea salt and black pepper

Salad

• 250g (9 ounces) cos/romaine or other crisp lettuce, roughly chopped
• 100g (3.5 ounces) radicchio or other bitter leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
• 450g (1 pound) short pasta
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sliced scallions or a handful of chopped parsley (or both)
• zest of 1/2 - 1 lemon
• sea salt and black pepper

Crunchy breadcrumbs

• 170g (6 ounces) stale bread (or 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs)
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, capers, caper brine (if using), lemon juice, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of water and whisk to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. Place the lettuce and radicchio (if using) into a large bowl. Add the Caesar dressing and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss and set aside while the pasta cooks. This time will help tenderize the lettuce.

3. Place the stale bread into a small food processor or blender and blitz until they become crumbs.

4. Preheat the oven to 180˚ C / 350˚ F. Place the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper. Spread the breadcrumbs into a thin layer and bake until golden and crunchy, 15-18 minutes, tossing every 3-4 minutes to promote even browning. Set aside to cool.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente.

6. While the pasta is still warm, add it to the lettuce and toss immediately (warm pasta will soak up flavour more efficiently). Add half of the breadcrumbs along with the scallions or parsley, the lemon zest and season well with salt and black pepper. Serve warm, or at room temperature. When ready to eat, top with more breadcrumbs.