You don't want a ton of marinade on the chicken so it doesn't burn. When ready to cook, I remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess marinade drip off or you can also pat it slightly dry with paper towels. When you are ready to cook the chicken, take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. If all you have is thin chicken, marinate for just a few hours. Please note that if you are using too thin of chicken breast, leaving them to marinate overnight will start to cure them and they will be tough. Seal the bag or cover and refrigerate overnight. Whisk to combine well and pour over the chicken breasts. I combine the can of Sprite with 2 cups of the Italian dressing.This is so the breasts marinate properly. If your chicken is on the thicker side, or in large pieces, pound it out with a mallet until it is about an inch thick. In a ziploc bag or container with a lid, add your chicken breasts.If you are new to cooking, please consider using a meat thermometer until you become familiar with how meat cooks and what it looks like when it is done. I grill on a small gas Weber grill so my cook times are different. In the full recipe below, also take note that all grills are different. If the chicken is sitting in salt too long when it is too thin, it will start to “cure” and get rubbery and tough. Very thin chicken will marinate more quickly. I also want to make sure you take note of the thickness of your chicken when marinating this or any recipe. Paired with the zesty Italian dressing, it also adds a salty, sweet flavor that also creates a perfectly caramelized chicken breast when you are grilling it. But it tenderizes the chicken in a way I cannot explain. The actual science behind it, I don’t know. I learned this trick from a lady I worked with in the 90’s. Sprite For Chicken?!Įveryone loses their mind when I say to marinate the chicken in Sprite or lemon lime soda. You are welcome to use any pasta you like. I find that this texture holds up much better being tossed in the salad dressing than regular pasta. Additionally, it also has a slightly different texture to it than regular pasta. You can use any rotini that you like, but I prefer to use this Veggie one from Barilla. You will also need more dressing and crouton since you are adding pasta to the salad. This is because I use the croutons and cheese from the kit to top the cooked chicken. I also list in the recipe to buy an extra bottle of prepared Caesar dressing and extra cheese as well as extra croutons. If you buy a bigger one like the one from Sam’s Club, you can use one. These kits are about 7 ounces each, so when I am making this recipe I use two. I use these Fresh Express Salad kits for this recipe for Caesar Pasta Salad. I learned that people were really upset about this rinsing pasta when my recipe for BLT PASTA SALAD went viral. This also rinses of the excess flour that will gum up your pasta salad. Using salad dressing on pasta will also make it softer so you you want to make sure it is al dente. This stops the pasta from cooking and ensures it is al dente. While it is true that you shouldn’t rinse the pasta when it comes to HOT dishes, you do in fact rinse it when you are using it for cold pasta salads. People watched the Food Network at some point, learned this tidbit and cannot let it go. I always get comments about rinsing pasta when it is done cooking. In fact, the inspiration for this recipe came from the deli I worked at, as a salad like this was one of our most popular salads. I worked in a deli in the 1990’s and these types of salads were always our best sellers. I am always surprised when people have never had a lettuce salad with pasta. The chicken is marinated overnight with a can of Sprite and some Zesty Italian Dressing. The grilled chicken is easy to make and has great flavors. Caesar Pasta Salad is easily made with ready made ingredients that come together perfectly. This recipe is always a favorite in my house for Summer and Spring.
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