How to Elevate the Viral Feta Pasta Recipe
I feel like I can safely say that we are all very familiar with the viral feta pasta recipe that originated on TikTok earlier this year. Personally, I don’t even have a TikTok and I must have seen it show up 9 billion times on my Instagram and Facebook feed.
Now, I know that this recipe went viral because it is so simple and quick to make. However, when I brought up the idea of making it to my husband, Sam, he was more than a little hesitant. I’m not going to call him boujee, but let's just say that he “prefers” more complex meals than what we were looking at there. He was also a little skeptical of having a strong Greek ingredient (feta) stealing the show of a traditional Italian dish.
To ease his worry, I decided to put my twist on the viral video and, in honor of the warmer weather, try my best to brighten up the meal for a quintessential Spring/Summer Mediterranean dinner.
The great thing about making a recipe several times is that once you have mastered it, you can continue to build on the flavors without adding the stress of learning something entirely new. Some of our favorite dinner recipes like Maple Mustard Lamb Chops and Champagne Chicken Mushroom Risotto I could practically construct blindfolded because I have made them so many times.
So, when I’m looking to spice up a well-known recipe, I love to challenge myself to “elevate” the dish into something more than it originally started as.
In short, the feta pasta recipe that went viral and that you’ve probably eaten several times already was good. This “elevated” version, though? Let’s just say that it’s a dish you won’t stop dreaming of once you’ve had your first bite.
The best part of this pasta dish is that I still kept it as simple and quick-to-make as I could while layering on different flavor and texture elements like shallot, basil, lemon zest, asparagus, and artichoke hearts.
I even added in our super quick chicken tenderloin recipe to top the gluten-free pasta with to make it a “complete” dinner dish.
This recipe as is serves 4 and reheats wonderfully as leftovers (it’s also surprisingly delicious cold).
Feta Asparagus Artichoke Pasta with Pan Seared Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pt. cherry or mixed heirloom tomatoes
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
3 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 (8 oz) block feta
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 jar marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
1 box gluten free penne pasta (or your pasta of choice)
zest of 1 lemon
fresh basil, chopped
chicken tenderloins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine tomatoes, shallot, garlic, thyme, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.
Place feta into center of tomato mixture and top with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top.
Remove mixture from oven, add in chopped asparagus and artichoke hearts, toss to combine. Place mixture back into oven at 400°F for an additional 18-20 minutes.
While your mixture is cooking, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions.
In a separate pan over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil and chicken tenderloins. Season with sea salt and pepper on both sides. Sear until golden on the outside and cooked through.
Once pasta is cooked and drained, remove mixture from oven and add pasta in. Mix thoroughly to coat, breaking apart the melted feta and tomatoes. Top each plate with cooked chicken, lemon zest, and fresh basil before serving.
Don’t forget to tag me if you make this recipe yourself so I can see how it turned out and repost/share to my Instagram story!
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Want more food-related posts? Check out my Copycat Warm Bowl from SweetGreen and 25 Kitchen Products from Amazon that People Actually Swear By.
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xo Anna Elizabeth