Merken There's something about cooking in a single skillet that feels like a small victory—no mountains of dishes piling up, just one gleaming pan doing all the heavy lifting. That's exactly what happened the first time I threw chicken, pasta, and spinach together with tangy feta and lemon, watching it all transform into something that tasted like a Greek island getaway without ever leaving my kitchen. The yogurt stirred in at the end created this silky, unexpected sauce that made everyone at the table pause mid-bite. It became my go-to weeknight dinner because it looks fancy but demands almost nothing from you.
I made this for my sister on a Tuesday night when she was stressed about work, and watching her face light up when she tasted it reminded me that sometimes the best dinners aren't complicated—they're just thoughtfully put together. She asked for the recipe before she even finished eating, which is how I know I've succeeded.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast (1 lb): Cut into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly and quickly; this is what makes the whole dish feel substantial without weighing you down.
- Short pasta (12 oz): Penne, fusilli, or rigatoni all work beautifully because their shapes catch and hold onto the creamy sauce.
- Feta cheese (4 oz): Crumble it by hand if you have time—it feels more intentional and distributes more naturally than pre-crumbled versions.
- Plain Greek yogurt (1 cup): The secret to a silky sauce that tastes indulgent but isn't heavy; add it off the heat so it doesn't break.
- Fresh baby spinach (3 cups): It wilts down dramatically, so don't be shy about the amount—it practically disappears into the dish.
- Red onion (1 small): The slight bite of raw red onion softens beautifully when cooked, adding sweetness and color.
- Garlic (2 cloves): Minced garlic blooms in olive oil and becomes mellow and aromatic; this is the flavor foundation.
- Lemon (zest and juice of 1): Zest first before you juice it, and don't skip either—the zest adds brightness that the juice alone can't capture.
- Low-sodium chicken broth (1 cup): This keeps the sauce loose and prevents everything from clumping together as it sits.
- Olive oil (2 tbsp): Good quality makes a difference here since it's not being cooked away but rather living in the final dish.
- Dried oregano (1 tsp): Mediterranean cooking depends on this herb; it's earthy and slightly floral in a way that makes you taste the Aegean.
- Dried dill (1/2 tsp, optional): A quiet herb that adds sophistication if you have it on hand; skip it without guilt if you don't.
- Crushed red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp, optional): A gentle heat that builds rather than overwhelms, added at the end so you control the spice level.
- Salt and pepper: Season the chicken as it cooks and taste as you go; you'll need more than you think because the yogurt and feta dilute saltiness.
Instructions
- Start the pasta first:
- Get a large pot of salted water boiling and cook your pasta until it's just al dente—it should have a tiny bit of resistance when you bite it because it'll continue cooking slightly in the skillet. Reserve about half a cup of the starchy cooking water before you drain it; this is liquid gold for loosening the sauce later if needed.
- Sear the chicken until golden:
- Heat olive oil in your large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken pieces seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and dill. Let them sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes so they develop a golden crust, which is where all the flavor lives. Once they're cooked through (about five to six minutes total), move them to a clean plate.
- Build the flavor base:
- In the same skillet with all those browned bits stuck to the bottom, add your sliced red onion and minced garlic. Listen for the gentle sizzle and breathe in that smell—you're creating the aromatic foundation for everything that comes next. After two or three minutes, the onion will soften and the garlic will smell absolutely irresistible.
- Wilt the spinach quickly:
- Add your baby spinach to the skillet and stir it around for about a minute until it collapses into green ribbons. It releases moisture, which is perfect because you want that liquid to help build your sauce.
- Bring everything together:
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add back the cooked chicken, the drained pasta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth. Toss everything together gently so it heats through without breaking apart, and taste a bite to see where you are seasonally.
- Create the creamy sauce:
- Remove the skillet from the heat—this is crucial—then gently fold in the Greek yogurt and crumbled feta. The cooler temperature keeps the yogurt from curdling while the residual heat warms it through and creates a silky coating. If the sauce feels too thick, add your reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches that perfect creamy consistency.
- Finish and serve:
- Taste once more and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you want a little heat. Serve it immediately while it's still warm and the flavors are singing together.
Merken This dish has a way of bringing people together, maybe because it feels both simple and special at once. There's something almost meditative about stirring lemon and spinach into chicken and pasta, knowing you're about fifteen minutes away from feeding people something they'll actually remember.
Why This Works as a Weeknight Dinner
The beauty of this skillet is that most of the work happens in parallel—you're not waiting around for one thing to finish before starting another. The pasta cooks while the chicken sears, and by the time you've softened the onion and wilted the spinach, everything is ready to come together. It's the kind of meal that feels like you spent hours in the kitchen even though you didn't, which is exactly what a weeknight dinner should be.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is incredibly forgiving because the flavor structure is solid enough to handle swaps and additions. I've made it with arugula instead of spinach on nights when that's what I had in the crisper, and the peppery bite actually added another layer of interest. Some people throw in Kalamata olives or sundried tomatoes, and while I didn't include them in the main recipe, they're brilliant additions if you want something a little more intense and salty.
The Magic of Mediterranean Seasoning
There's a reason oregano and lemon show up together again and again in Greek cooking—they're like old friends who just make each other better. The dried oregano becomes slightly sweeter and more floral when it blooms in the olive oil, and the lemon zest and juice bring this brightness that keeps everything from feeling too rich or heavy. Adding the zest separately from the juice gives you pops of intense lemon flavor that the juice alone can't deliver, and it's one of those small moves that changes how a dish tastes.
- Always zest your lemon before juicing it, because zesting a juiced lemon is nearly impossible.
- If you can't find fresh dill, skip it entirely rather than using a ton of dried dill, which can taste slightly soapy in large quantities.
- Taste constantly as you season, because the feta and yogurt are both salty and can sneak up on you if you're not paying attention.
Merken This is the kind of dinner that reminds you why cooking at home matters—it's quick, it's real, and it tastes like someone actually cared. Make it tonight and watch how fast your kitchen smells like a Mediterranean dream.
Fragen & Antworten zum Rezept
- → Kann ich Hähnchen durch andere Proteine ersetzen?
Ja, Sie können das Hähnchen durch Putenbrust, Schweinefleisch oder Garnelen ersetzen. Für eine vegetarische Version eignen sich Kichererbsen oder weiße Bohnen als Proteinquelle.
- → Welche Pasta passt am besten zu diesem Gericht?
Kurzwaren wie Penne, Fusilli oder Rigatoni eignen sich hervorragend, da sie die cremige Sauce gut aufnehmen. Auch Farfalle oder Maccheroni funktionieren gut.
- → Wie kann ich das Gericht glutenfrei zubereiten?
Verwenden Sie einfach glutenfreie Pasta anstelle von herkömmlicher Weizenpasta. Achten Sie darauf, dass alle anderen Zutaten, insbesondere der Hühnerbrühe, ebenfalls glutenfrei sind.
- → Kann ich das Gericht im Voraus zubereiten?
Das Gericht schmeckt am besten frisch zubereitet, da die Pasta sonst zu viel Sauce aufnimmt. Sie können jedoch alle Zutaten vorbereiten und kurz vor dem Servierenn zusammenstellen. Die Hähnchenstücke können auch einen Tag im Voraus mariniert werden.
- → Wie lagere ich Reste richtig?
Reste können in einem verschlossenen Behälter im Kühlschrank bis zu 3 Tage aufbewahrt werden. Beim Aufwärmen möglicherweise etwas Milch oder Brühe hinzufügen, da die Pasta die Sauce aufnimmt und das Gericht etwas trockener werden kann.
- → Welche Beilagen passen dazu?
Da das Gericht bereits Pasta enthält, ist es als vollständiges Gericht ausreichend. Optional können Sie einen grünen Salat oder frisches Brot servieren. Für mehr Gemüse passen gegrillte Zucchini oder Auberginen hervorragend dazu.