Creamy Lemon Feta Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Tender chicken in silky lemon cream sauce with feta, Parmesan, and penne pasta. Greek-inspired comfort food.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
13 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
15 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
16 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Extra feta cheese and lemon zest, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and sauté until golden and cooked through, approximately 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
04 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and lemon zest. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Pour lemon juice into the skillet, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Stir in heavy cream and chicken broth, bringing to a gentle simmer.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan and feta cheese until melted and sauce becomes smooth. Add red pepper flakes if desired.
07 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Add drained pasta and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water gradually as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Season with additional black pepper and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley, extra feta, and lemon zest.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The lemon and feta create this bright, tangy contrast that keeps creamy pasta from feeling heavy
  • Everything comes together in one skillet after the pasta boils, so cleanup is mercifully simple
  • It tastes like you ordered from a Greek restaurant but you made it in less than an hour
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off the noodles
  • Add the cheeses off the heat or on very low heat so they melt smoothly without breaking into a grainy mess
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time rather than dumping it all in at once
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the skillet so those aromatic oils go straight into the pan
  • Let the chicken rest for a minute after cooking so the juices redistribute and it stays tender when you toss it back in
  • Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and an extra pinch of lemon zest right before serving for a flavor boost that tastes like you really know what you're doing
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