caesar-y pasta and potato salad with hot sauce butter croutons
aka the (or at least my) salad of the summer
i love caesar salad (iykyk), pasta salad and potato salad (just about, i will not play favorites here) equally. so when i started to think about developing a summery pasta salad recipe, i thought, “why not combine these three great salads into one that’s even better than the sum of its parts?” while i still have love for each type of salad individually, i’m kind of obsessed with this one and i will most definitely be making it over and over again this summer and beyond.
you may have heard of caesar salad pasta salads before, but this one is special. it incorporates potatoes (because why not?!), features a lighter, half yogurt, half mayo take on caesar dressing and is finished with a big pile of smoky, buttery, crispy, slightly spicy croutons. i also added cucumber for texture and scallions and chives for flavor. i think cooled, shredded rotisserie chicken (or cooked chicken breasts), crispy bacon or chopped tomatoes (scooped of their seeds) would make nice additions, too.
one of the nicest things about making this salad is that you can cook the pasta and potatoes in one large pot (yay, less dishes!), then drain and cool them together before tossing through with the dressing and other ingredients. to hit that sweet spot where you have tender but not mushy potatoes and al dente pasta at the same time, it’s important to cut your potatoes quite small (between the size of the top joint of your thumb and what’s known as “bite-size”), start them in the large pot (i use the biggest pot i have even for this relatively small amount so it doesn’t boil over with starchy water) with cold water and salt, and then only add the pasta (making sure to pick a shape that takes about 10 minutes to cook) once the water is boiling.
i say that this serves 2 to 4 people because in one sitting my boyfriend and i almost ate the whole thing but as a shared side with a few other picnic or barbecue-type dishes, it could certainly serve 4 comfortably. you can of course also double the recipe if you want to make it for a larger crowd or prep to have around for an easy summer lunch or dinner as it keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
serves 2 - 4; can be made 3 - 4 days in advance
for the dressing; can be made a day in advance
70 grams full-fat yogurt
70 grams mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (i like to use a grainy dijon, but smooth works as well)
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (substitute: balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, or just leave it out)
1 clove garlic
25 grams parmesan cheese
½ lemon (the other half can be used for wedges for serving)
0 - 4 anchovy filets, depending on your level of anchovy love
salt and black pepper
for the hot sauce butter croutons; can be made up to 5 days in advance
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon hot sauce (i like frank’s red or tabasco here, but use whatever red hot sauce you like)
100 grams sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
to assemble
200 grams new potatoes
200 grams short pasta (i use this pasta mista from rummo [not sponsored lol], but any small, short pasta that takes about 10 minutes to cook will work)
1 cucumber (about 200 grams)
3 scallions
1 head romaine lettuce (about 200 grams)
15 grams chives
lemon wedges for serving
whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, worcestershire sauce and parmesan cheese in a small bowl. grate the garlic and parmesan cheese into the bowl and add zest and juice from the lemon. mince the anchovies and add, then season with salt and pepper to taste. keep in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients; the dressing can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge.
add butter, olive oil and hot sauce to a small frying pan over medium heat. once hot, add the bread and toss well. let cook, stirring and tossing often, until the croutons turn brown on some sides and get crisp. season with paprika, chili flakes and a pinch of salt. toss well and remove from the heat. if making in advance, cool completely and store in a plastic bag at room temperature until ready to use.
cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces (about the size of your top thumb joint) and add to a large pot filled with cold water. add a generous sprinkle of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. once boiling, and the pasta and set a timer for 9 minutes.
while the pasta and potatoes are cooking, halve the cucumber lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the seedy core. slice lengthwise into four strips and then chop into pieces and add to a large bowl. thinly slice the scallions (both whites and greens) and add to the bowl with the cucumber, then roughly chop the romaine lettuce and leave on the cutting board.
when the timer goes off, check the pasta and potatoes. if they need to cook more, let them, if not, transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cool. let drain completely, then add to the bowl with the cucumber and scallions.
add the romaine lettuce and dressing to the bowl and toss well to combine everything. taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. before serving, top with the hot sauce butter croutons and some finely chopped chives. serve with lemon wedges on the side. if you have leftovers, they will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge; i recommend keeping the croutons separate, topping the pasta salad with them just before serving.