Roasted Garlic & Feta Chicken Pasta (Printer View)

Tender chicken, roasted garlic, and creamy feta tossed with pasta for a comforting Mediterranean meal.

# What you'll 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 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes, optional
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste
14 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the 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 in oven for 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
03 - Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
04 - Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their 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, approximately 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 -
  • The roasted garlic melts into a creamy sauce without any cream, making it feel indulgent but genuinely lighter than it tastes.
  • Everything cooks on the same schedule, so your timing never feels rushed or chaotic.
  • Feta adds that salty, tangy punch that makes each bite interesting without needing heavy sauces.
02 -
  • Don't skip mashing the roasted garlic properly; leaving it chunky means you miss the creamy texture that makes this dish work.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain—it's the difference between a thin sauce that slides off and one that actually clings to every strand of pasta.
03 -
  • If your feta is particularly salty, taste the dish before adding the final pinch of salt—you might not need it, and oversalting ruins everything instantly.
  • The garlic sauce thickens as it cools, so if you're serving immediately, aim for a consistency slightly looser than you think you want.
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