Roasted Garlic & Feta Chicken (Printable Version)

Creamy Mediterranean pasta with roasted chicken, sweet garlic, and tangy feta cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Meat & Dairy

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 5.3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
03 - 2 tbsp Greek yogurt

→ Pasta

04 - 12.3 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Vegetables

05 - 2 whole bulbs garlic
06 - 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 5.3 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 3.5 oz baby spinach

→ Pantry & Seasonings

09 - 3 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 0.5 tsp chili flakes, optional
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste
14 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice tops off garlic bulbs, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30 minutes until soft and golden.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Place on baking tray with sliced red onion and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
03 - Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 0.5 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
04 - Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skins into large bowl. Mash with fork. Add Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk together to form creamy sauce, thinning with reserved pasta water as needed.
05 - Slice roasted chicken into strips.
06 - In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add baby spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes.
07 - Add cooked pasta, roasted onion, cherry tomatoes, chicken, and mashed garlic sauce to skillet. Toss well to combine and heat through.
08 - Remove from heat, stir in crumbled feta, and toss gently.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley and extra feta if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Roasted garlic becomes buttery and mild, so even garlic skeptics fall for this one.
  • Everything roasts together, meaning you're mostly hands-off while the oven does the work.
  • The feta crumbles add pops of salty creaminess that make each bite interesting.
  • It's elegant enough to impress people but casual enough to make in your regular clothes.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving that pasta water, it's liquid gold for adjusting your sauce consistency without thinning out the flavor.
  • Roasted garlic cloves should squeeze out of their skins easily, if they don't, they need a few more minutes in the oven.
  • Feta can turn bitter if it gets too hot or sits in acid too long, so add it at the very end right before serving.
  • The chicken will continue cooking slightly as it sits, so it's better to pull it out when it's just barely done rather than waiting for it to be completely firm.
03 -
  • If your feta is particularly salty, rinse it quickly under cold water before crumbling it to dial back the intensity.
  • Don't be stingy with the lemon, it's what keeps this from tasting heavy and one-note, even though you can barely taste the lemon itself.
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