Monday, August 27, 2012

Chicken with Feta, Roasted Tomatoes, and Garlic Butter Spinach Spaghetti


We had this meal this past Friday night, and it was so fantastic I just couldn't wait to share it with you. It was borne from a surplus of spinach and tomatoes in my fridge, neither of which I had a plan for, and both of which were nearing the end of their freshness. Needless to say, both ingredients found an incredibly delicious home in this recipe.

Both of these recipes are prepared with uncomplicated, basic ingredients, which I'm finding are my absolute favorite kinds of recipes these days. The dishes are simple to prepare, and I'm sharing them together because I think they should absolutely be served together. The chicken, roasted tomatoes, feta and luscious buttery spaghetti all complement each other so wonderfully. My boys and Joe couldn't get enough of the noodles, and we all wanted more (so you may want to increase the amount of spaghetti to at least half a pound!). And not only was this meal delicious; it was pretty healthy, too!

Chicken with Feta, Roasted Tomatoes, and Garlic Butter Spinach Spaghetti

For the chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
4 roma tomatoes, sliced
Crumbled feta cheese

For the spaghetti:

1/3 pound spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds
3 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and add one tablespoon of olive oil; toss to evenly combine. Roast tomatoes in an even layer for about 10 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown. Set aside, covered, until serving.

2. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until chicken is well browned on both sides and juices run clear; remove from heat, place on a plate, and cover with foil until serving.

3. To make the spaghetti, cook the noodles in boiling salted water to al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, add garlic and salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant. Add spinach to drained noodles and pour the garlic butter mixture over the top. Toss to combine and wilt the spinach.

4. Spoon some of the pasta onto each plate. Top the pasta with a piece of chicken, some of the roasted tomatoes, and sprinkling of feta cheese.

2 comments:

Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats said...

I'm loving this dish! Rachael Ray was making something similar today on her show....now I want both of these dishes!

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