Are you looking for a new weeknight dinner that is bursting with the bright, sunny, and incredibly delicious flavors of the Greek islands, but is on the table in about 30 minutes? This amazing, one-pan Greek Chicken Pasta is that perfect meal. Tender, shredded chicken, salty feta, briny artichokes, and sweet sun-dried tomatoes are all tossed with pasta in a simple, luscious, and from-scratch cream sauce.
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for an effortless, impressive, and satisfying meal. We’ll show you how to use a few smart shortcuts, like rotisserie chicken, to create a restaurant-quality dish with minimal effort. This is the kind of hearty, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing skillet dinner that will transport your taste buds straight to the Mediterranean.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: A 30-Minute Trip to the Mediterranean
What makes this Greek Chicken Pasta so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, complex flavor that is built with just a handful of simple ingredients and smart shortcuts. The recipe uses a rotisserie chicken for a fast and flavorful protein base. The heart of the dish is a quick, from-scratch cream sauce made with a classic roux, which is then loaded with a trifecta of classic Greek-inspired flavors: salty feta cheese, tangy marinated artichoke hearts, and briny Greek olives. It all comes together in one skillet for a stunning, satisfying, and unbelievably easy meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Vibrant Pasta
This recipe uses a handful of smart shortcuts and pantry staples to create its signature fresh and savory flavor.
- The Shortcut Protein:
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken: Using about 3 cups of pre-cooked, shredded chicken is the ultimate time-saver. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the perfect, convenient choice. This is also the absolute best way to use up any leftover cooked chicken or Thanksgiving turkey!
- The “Greek” Flavors: This is where all the incredible, vibrant flavor comes from!
- Feta Cheese: For the best, most authentic flavor, use a block of feta cheese that is packed in brine. It has a much creamier texture and a saltier, tangier flavor than the pre-crumbled varieties.
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts: A jar of marinated, quartered artichoke hearts is a fantastic shortcut that adds a wonderful, tender texture and a bright, tangy, and herby flavor.
- Greek Olives: A handful of your favorite pitted Greek olives, like a salty and briny Kalamata olive, adds a fantastic, savory punch.
- The Creamy Sauce: A simple but luscious, from-scratch sauce.
- The Roux: A classic mixture of butter and all-purpose flour is the foolproof thickener that transforms a thin broth into a rich and creamy sauce.
- Chicken Broth: A high-quality, reduced-sodium chicken broth provides the savory base of our sauce.
- The Pasta: A sturdy, tubular pasta shape like penne is the perfect choice for this dish. Its ridges and hollow center are ideal for catching and holding onto the thick, cheesy, and chunky sauce.
Step-by-Step to the Best Greek Chicken Pasta
This delicious, mostly one-pan meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta and Sauté the Onion
Step 1: First, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook your 1 pound of uncooked penne pasta according to the package directions until it is al dente.
Pro Tip: Before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy, salty pasta water. This is a fantastic secret ingredient that can be used to help create a glossier, more cohesive sauce at the end.
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a large, ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the 1 large, chopped onion and cook, stirring, until it is tender.
Step 2: Build the Creamy Greek Sauce
Step 1: Stir the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour into the skillet with the onions until it is well blended. This is your “roux.”
Step 2: Slowly and gradually, while whisking constantly, pour in the 1 can of chicken broth.
Step 3: Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cook and stir for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened into a beautiful, smooth gravy.
Step 4: Stir in the 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, the 1 jar of drained, marinated artichoke hearts, the 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese, the 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and the 1/3 cup of sliced Greek olives. Continue to heat the mixture through.
Part 3: Combine and Serve
Step 1: Add the drained, cooked pasta to the skillet with the hot chicken and sauce mixture.
Step 2: Stir everything together until the pasta is well-coated in the delicious, creamy sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, you can stir in a splash of your reserved, starchy pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
Serve the pasta immediately in warm, shallow bowls, with a generous sprinkle of the 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley.
The Best Creamy Greek Chicken Pasta (Easy 30-Minute Meal!)
A hearty and flavorful Greek-inspired chicken pasta bake. This one-pan (mostly) meal features a creamy sauce made with sautéed onions, chicken broth, and a simple roux. The sauce is loaded with shredded rotisserie chicken, marinated artichoke hearts, crumbled feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and Greek olives. This savory mixture is then tossed with cooked penne pasta and likely baked until hot and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 jar (7.5-ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender.
- Stir in the flour until blended, then gradually add the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives.
- (Final steps inferred as they were missing from the article)
- Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the chicken and sauce mixture. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the ovenproof skillet to a preheated 375°F oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Note: The final baking instructions were not provided in the original article and have been inferred based on the use of an ‘ovenproof skillet’ and standard casserole preparation.
- This recipe is a quick and easy meal, using shortcuts like pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and jarred artichoke hearts.
- The sauce is a simple stovetop cream sauce thickened with a classic roux (butter and flour).
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is a fantastic make-ahead meal for a busy week, and the leftovers are delicious.
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive meal, you can prepare the entire creamy chicken and vegetable sauce up to 3 days in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, simply reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop while you cook your pasta, and then stir everything together.
- Storage: Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this pasta is in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat. You will likely need to add a generous splash of milk or chicken broth to loosen the sauce and bring back its creamy consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Make it a Baked Casserole: For a delicious, bubbly, and golden-brown top, you can turn this into a baked dish! After you have combined everything in the skillet, simply transfer the pasta to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Top it with an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded mozzarella or an Italian cheese blend. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly.
- Add a Fresh Vegetable: For some extra color and nutrition, you can stir in a few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach at the very end of the cooking time and let it wilt into the hot sauce.
- Make it a Vegetarian Pasta: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, you can simply omit the chicken and add one 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Be sure to use a high-quality vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
Enjoy Your New Favorite Weeknight Pasta!
You’ve just created a truly special skillet dinner that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh, and delicious flavors. This Greek Chicken Pasta is a testament to the power of a few smart shortcuts to create a meal that is both incredibly fast and incredibly satisfying. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the best way to use up a rotisserie chicken?
A rotisserie chicken is a fantastic shortcut for so many meals! This pasta recipe is a perfect example. You can also use the shredded meat for chicken salad, chicken tacos or quesadillas, a chicken noodle soup, or a creamy chicken casserole.
Q2: Can I make this dish ahead of time for a party?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead dish, especially if you plan to serve it as a baked casserole (see the variation above). You can fully assemble the unbaked casserole, cover it tightly, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake, just pop it in the oven (you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time).
Q3: What kind of olives are “Greek olives”? “
Greek olives” is a general term, but the most common and delicious choice for a dish like this one is the Kalamata olive. They are a deep purple color, almond-shaped, and have a wonderfully rich, fruity, and salty flavor.
Q4: Can I freeze this pasta dish?
Because this dish contains a dairy-based sauce, it is not an ideal candidate for freezing, as the texture of the sauce can sometimes become a bit grainy upon thawing and reheating.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of pasta instead of penne?
Of course! This rich and hearty sauce is fantastic with any medium pasta shape that has plenty of nooks and crannies to catch the sauce. Try it with rotini, rigatoni, large shells, or even orzo.