This chicken feta spinach pasta recipe is light yet filling and full of incredible fresh flavors. It's a great easy weeknight meal option all summer long!
Can't get enough feta? Try this Whipped Feta with Fresh Herbs or my Simple Watermelon Feta Salad with Cucumber, Basil, and Mint.
Why you'll love it
You may know me for making pasta with creamy sauces, but I wanted to change it up and try a healthier pasta with a fresh tomato and feta sauce. If you're wondering, this is not the TikTok feta pasta, but our kitchen actually thinks it's so much better! And we actually kinda sorta invented it first. 😉
Simple ingredients really deliver in this recipe. I had some feta I needed to use up, so I challenged myself to be creative with what I already had in my fridge. Sometimes the best recipes are born that way! It's now our favorite easy summer pasta, and it's made on the stovetop in 25 minutes for a quick light meal.
Ingredients for it
- Pasta - you can use any shape. I am having a moment with fettuccine and linguine these days, though.
- Chicken - we're using chicken breasts
- Olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder - we're pan frying the chicken in this tasty base for the sauce
- Chicken broth - to enhance the sauce
- Dijon mustard - my trick to make sauces amazing. You don't taste the mustard itself; it just adds savory goodness.
- Lemon juice - for a bit of acidity and brightness. Always use freshly squeezed.
- Tomatoes - we chose grape, but cherry or any little tomato works fine. Just make sure to find the freshest you can!
- Spinach - we're using fresh baby spinach to complement the tomatoes
- Feta - the kind that's packed in oil and herbs is our preference
How to make chicken feta pasta
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Boil water and cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, pan fry the chicken along with the olive oil, dried oregano, and garlic powder until nearly cooked. Take the chicken out and set aside.
- Add in the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the pan and simmer for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes until they're nice and soft and release the sweet juices.
- Place the chicken back into the skillet, and heat through. Stir in the spinach and feta, and let the spinach wilt. Toss with the pasta, season with salt & pepper, and serve right away!
Substitutions and variations
- If you want this dish to have a bit of heat, add in some red pepper flakes.
- We love it with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan. To make it easy, we use this Microplane zester.
- This pasta sauce is really forgiving, so if you have some fresh herbs from the garden, feel free to throw them in. Basil and parsley would be fantastic.
What to serve with it
- It makes a great complete meal by itself or with a slice of crusty bread and a nice drink on the patio.
- If you do want to pair it with a salad, try mixed greens with this creamy balsamic dressing or this Arugula Salad with Fennel and Cheese.
Leftovers and storage
- This pasta will last for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- To reheat, add to a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You could also microwave it in 30-second increments, but that's not our preferred method.
- It probably won't freeze well since all the fresh ingredients won't come out as nice when thawed.
Will you make this feta chicken pasta? Questions? Let me know in the comments below!
Chicken Feta Spinach Pasta
This chicken feta spinach pasta recipe is light yet filling and full of incredible fresh flavors. It's a great easy weeknight meal option all summer long!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 (10.5 ounce) container little tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc.) cut into halves
- 1.5 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- 3.5 ounces feta (I used a kind that's cubed and packed in oil and herbs)
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Prep your chicken. Add it to a skillet, along with the olive oil, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Chicken should be close to cooked. Take chicken out of pan and set aside.
- Add the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the pan. Stir until the mustard has dissolved. Let it simmer for about a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be falling apart and making a nice tomato sauce.
- Add the chicken back into the pan. Let it heat through (and make sure it's fully cooked without overcooking it).
- Stir in the spinach and feta. Let the spinach wilt, and then toss the sauce with the pasta (add a little pasta water if you wish) and serve immediately. Optional: add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat and/or freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 36gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 503mgPotassium: 815mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1813IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 158mgIron: 2mg
Sheri says
My family loved this dish. After reading the reviews, I made a couple of minor adjustments. I added 1/4 c white wine to the broth, used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, used 1tbls dried Italian seasoning in addition to the oregano, stirred 1 tbls butter into the sauce and added sliced Kalamata olives. It was flavorful and delicious! Will definitely make again
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sheri!
Evelyn says
Made it but thought it was very bland. Added fresh garlic and basil. Still not too tasty although it was quick and I had dinner on the table early rather than later
Natasha says
Hmm that's surprising as others have loved it. I was going to ask if you added enough salt, but feta is pretty salty to begin with. I guess we all have different tastes - sorry to hear you didn't like it! 🙁
Janice says
I made this recipe the other day and my husband and I both really enjoyed it. We will definitely be making it again. I think next time I will try the black olives as someone suggested. Thank you for sharing.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
It's our pleasure, Janice! Glad it was a hit.
Cath says
Lovely fresh flavours, added a generous splash of white wine as sauce cooked away a little too much, sprinkle of Aleppo pepper chilli flakes to finish
Natasha says
Awesome!! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Aly says
About how many cups chopped tomatoes is this if you use fresh roma tomatoes? Excited to try it!
Natasha says
Hi Aly! Honestly, I'm not quite sure. I'd probably try with 1.5 cups or so.
Jan says
Put some calamata olives in
So good!!!
Thank you
Natasha says
My fav!! So glad you like the recipe! 🙂
Rachel says
Do you think you could use sun dried tomatoes?
Natasha says
I think that should be fine. You may need to add a little more liquid if it seems dry, though.
Jackie says
Made this tonight! DELICIOUS! I made too much pasta, but when does that never happen?! 😂 This recipe will be saved and used in the future again, for sure!
Natasha says
Hahaha I always make pasta for myself and 53 of my closest friends. 😉 Glad you liked the recipe!!
Michael says
So amazing 😊 really easy, really tasty and the best thing is, it’s also healthy 👍
Natasha says
So happy you liked it, Michael! 🙂
Scott says
I haven't prepared this as of yet, but, do you know the calorie and fat content by chance?
Natasha says
Hi Scott! Unfortunately, I do not. I am not a trained nutritionist, so I don't feel comfortable providing nutrition info as it may not be accurate. Calories will vary depending on the ingredients you use. Plugging the exact weights/measurements of the actual ingredients you use into one of the free calculators out there should give you a good idea of the calories.
Vicki says
Really enjoyed this dish. I added the red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. I will make it again.
Natasha says
I am so pleased you liked it, Vicki!!
Charity MacPherson says
would prawns instead of chicken work too?
Natasha says
Hi Charity! I don't see why not. I think they would go very well... just be careful not to overcook them. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Charity MacPherson says
made this last night and super tasty with prawns. Highly recommend if you don't have chicken on hand. Thanks for the recipe.
Natasha says
That's great! Thanks for letting me know! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Christelle D. says
It was delicious! Simple ingredients but really tasty. This recipe is saved in my favorites.
I made it with a can of tomatoes instead and it was as perfect.😋
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Christelle! 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
This pasta looks amazing!!! Can't wait to try it!
Natasha says
Thanks so much!
Matt Robinson says
Nothing beats summer comfort meals like this!
Natasha says
Thanks, Matt!
Jennifer Farley says
Such a delicious pasta dish!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I would definitely try this Natasha! I love all the fresh summer tomatoes and that fabulous feta!
Natasha says
Awesome, thanks Mary Ann!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Yum. Yum. YUM. This chicken feta pasta is my love language.
Natasha says
Yay! Thanks, Jennifer!
Leigh Ann says
This pasta is a combination of so many of my favorites! Can't wait to try!
Natasha says
Let me know if you make it! 🙂
sheri says
This recipe is a bit unclear regarding the chicken...2 whole chicken breasts? Two halves? Makes a dif and why would anyone use garlic powder instead of fresh minced garlic?
Natasha says
Hi Sheri! Technically they're half chicken breasts, and that's how these types of recipes are normally written where I live (I live in Canada and in Canada/USA we would call a half chicken breast a "chicken breast" because they're typically split when they're packaged as boneless/skinless. You won't often find a whole chicken breast connected by a breastbone in a normal grocery store here). I don't worry too much about their weight. This isn't a baking recipe so doesn't have to be too precise. I hope that makes sense. You can use fresh garlic if you want. Hope you enjoy the recipe!