Creamy Lemon Feta Chicken Pasta (Printable Version)

Tender chicken with tangy feta and Parmesan in a silky lemon cream sauce over perfectly cooked pasta.

# 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 for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder, ensuring even coating.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and sauté for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and lemon zest. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom.
05 - Pour lemon juice into the skillet and deglaze. Add heavy cream and chicken broth, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Gradually stir in Parmesan and feta cheese until fully melted and sauce reaches a smooth consistency. Add red pepper flakes if desired.
07 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Add drained pasta and toss thoroughly to coat. Add reserved pasta water gradually until reaching desired sauce consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional black pepper and salt as needed.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley, additional crumbled feta, and lemon zest.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • The lemon brightness cuts through the cream so nothing feels heavy, even though it's totally indulgent.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • Feta and Parmesan together create this umami depth that just makes people pause mid-bite and ask what you did differently.
02 -
  • Don't let the sauce come to a rolling boil after adding the cream; it can split or separate, and you'll end up with a grainy texture instead of smooth and silky.
  • The chicken truly needs to be bite-sized and cooked through; undercooked chicken ruined one attempt early on, and it taught me to trust a meat thermometer (165°F is your friend).
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester for lemon zest; it captures the finest, most fragrant oils from the skin without any bitter white pith.
  • Reserve pasta water religiously; it's starchy and helps emulsify the sauce, making it cling to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
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