Chicken Feta Pasta
Vibrant, tangy flavors from a block of feta surrounded by sweet cherry tomatoes mixed with spinach, small bites of chicken and pasta makes a super easy dinner.
Inspired by Tiktok, this trending meal of Chicken Feta Pasta is packed with protein, reheats well and is worth repeating.
If you love this social media favorite you may also enjoy our super easy Red Lobster Chicken Pot Pie, Hawaiian Roll Garlic Bread, or Canned Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream.
Baked Feta Pasta with Chicken Recipe
The rich, deep, distinctive flavor of feta mixes with tomatoes to make a simple pasta sauce that couldn’t be easier to make!
We tested baking whole chicken breasts, different types of tomatoes, and the best interval to add the spinach. Through experimentation we have developed a simple meal, with unique flavors that we crave.
My kids love meals with pasta from our Pasta Salad with Provolone and Salami to our Pasta and Ground Sausage Skillet. When we saw a way to stir cooked pasta into a simple sauce and cook everything else in one pan, we knew that was our favorite style of recipe.
The key to success in this recipe is to use high quality ingredients. Cutting corners on cheaper substitutes dilutes the flavor and enjoyment of the meal quickly.
Ingredients Needed
- Feta Cheese – A quality block is several dollars and needed, crumbles will not work.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Use sweet, quality tomatoes. Through testing we learned that bigger grape tomatoes make the sauce too liquidy and it lacks flavor.
- Minced Garlic – We prefer fresh to dried.
- Olive Oil – The base to stir everything together and make a great sauce.
- Italian Seasoning, Basil, Sea Salt and Black Pepper – Simple seasonings enhance quality ingredients.
- Spinach – Baby spinach with short stems stirs in most easily.
- Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Pasta – We like the upscale feel of Cellentani or Cavatappi noodles, but penne, bow tie and elbow work well among many other options.
How To Make Feta Chicken Pasta
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Wash and dry tomatoes. Pour into a 9 x 13″ baking dish. There is no need to grease as the olive oil will do that!
Sprinkle all of the herbs, salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Add olive oil and stir well.
Create a gap in the center for the full block of feta. If you want to use two block be sure to break them into multiple pieces.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a firm spoon to mash the cheese and tomatoes and begin to stir together.
Adding the Chicken and Spinach
Stir until the sauce is as smooth and creamy as possible.
Turn the oven down to 350°F.
Add an even layer of clean, dry, baby spinach on top. Baby spinach does not need chopped.
Then arrange similar size, bite sized cubes of chicken over the top. Ensure most of the pieces are separated from each other to help cook evenly.
One boneless, skinless chicken breast is roughly equal to 1 1/2 cups of cubed chicken.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
Cook half of a box of pasta according to the directions on the package and stir well.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat a thin layer in a bowl with a microwave safe cover on top to help hold in moisture.
Variations
- We tested cooking the whole chicken breast along with the feta and tomatoes, but it is difficult to get everything to finish cooking and avoid burning at the same time. Using cubes of chicken in this feta cheese pasta is easier!
- If using regular spinach chop up to make smaller pieces. The longer stems were mildly annoying.
- We found larger grape tomatoes that were lighter in color and that cost significantly less basically ruin the sauce. So use quality feta cheese and deep red, sweet cherry tomatoes or the recipe can fall flat.
More Fast Family Meal Ideas
- Smoked Burgers
- Fiesta Chicken
- Crock Pot Rigatoni
- Smoked Sausage Potatoes and Green Beans
- Zucchini Stuffed with Italian Sausage
Chicken Feta Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces feta cheese block
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chicken breasts cubed
- 8 ounces Celentani pasta
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and olive oil in a 9 x 13" pan.16 ounces cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons basil
- Break block of feta into 3 or 4 pieces and lay in the center of the pan. Arrange all ingredients in a single layer.8 ounces feta cheese block
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and smash tomatoes and stir together.
- Turn oven down to 350℉.
- Add chopped spinach and stir in. Lay chopped chicken in a single layer on top.2 cups spinach, 1 1/2 cups chicken breasts
- Return to the oven for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package and drain.8 ounces Celentani pasta
- Stir up the tomatoes and feta to make the sauce and then stir in the pasta.
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