A fun pasta dish that is so easy for weeknight dinners. It includes healthy spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese… with an added chicken option for protein.
Ingredients
Pasta Ingredients
1 lb – 1 ¼ lbs / 454 - 567g pasta, any shape: shells, bowtie, etc
1/2 cup olive oil + more for finishing
2 – 2 ½ pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1 block feta about 8 – 10 oz / 225 - 285g
2-4 cloves garlic finely chopped
5 oz / 142g baby spinach
A few pinches red pepper flakes
1 handful fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Marinated Chicken Ingredients
Chicken breasts – ½ to 1 breast per person
Olive oil
Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honeysalt and ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Pasta
1. Preheat oven to 400. Add olive oil to a baking dish and toss with whole cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper until everything is coated.
2. Add the feta in the middle and top with a splash more of olive oil plus a few cranks of fresh pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to directions then strain.
4. After the 30 minutes has past, crank the heat up to 450 and bake for another 10 minutes or until the feta and tomatoes have browned.
5. Remove the baking dish from the oven and add garlic and red pepper flakes and spinach and stir so the residual heat cooks the garlic and releases the flavors from the red pepper flakes and wilts the spinach.
6. Toss in the pasta and stir one more time. Finish with fresh basil, another splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Marinated Chicken
1. In a small bowl combine, make the marinade by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, honey and salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Lay chicken breasts, one at a time on a cutting board and cover with parchment or plastic wrap. With a rolling pin flatten chicken breasts by pounding the breasts so they are all about ¼ to ½ -inch thick.
3. Place flattened chicken breasts in a large bowl and coat with marinade and let sit for 20 minutes.
4. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Place chicken breast in heated pan and cook for 3-5 minutes then flip chicken and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
5. Once cooked remove from pan. Cut into slices to add to the pasta.
About the Recipe
About Rosie's Kitchen
Rosie Coelho is Owner and Chief Creator of Deliciousness at Rosie’s Kitchen Co. As a Food Enthusiast and Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, she loves to inspire people to connect with themselves and loved ones through food.
Rosie also shares her epicurean passion through Culinary Classes and Experiences - having people become rock stars in their own kitchens. Whether beginners or more experienced cooks, there is always something new to learn and a great way to gain kitchen confidence, while having lots of fun!