Greek Spaghetti is a quick and simple dinner you can make in under an hour. This Mediterranean pasta is loaded with flavor and delicious!
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If you’re short on time but looking for a flavor packed dinner, this Greek Spaghetti is for you.
Spaghetti gets tossed with olives, tomatoes, feta and arugula and then topped with seared chicken for a meal that’s packed with both veggies and flavor!
Easy to make in under an hour, this Mediterranean Pasta is one we make over and over again. We know you’ll love it too!
great reasons to make Greek spaghetti
There is a lot to love about this Greek style pasta recipe. It’s one of our favorite healthy dinners because it’s:
- Tons of flavor: This recipe has kalamata olives, sweet cherry tomatoes and salty feta. It tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant.
- Protein Packed: This recipe has 35g of protein per serving. You could even cut down the pasta or add more chicken on top for extra protein/less carbs.
- Easy to make: We shared our best tips for how to make perfectly seared chicken and a pasta sauce that is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients for this recipe:
- olive oil – use a good quality extra virgin olive oil
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – we always pound them with a meat mallet to make sure they’re tender
- salt & pepper
- onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes
- kalamata olives – you can skip these if you’re not an olive fan
- artichoke hearts
- lemon juice
- dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, dried thyme
- spaghetti – you could also use other pasta in this recipe
- arugula
- feta cheese – skip to make it dairy free!
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil or butter in place of olive oil.
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs. You could also use Baked Chicken Cutlets or even rotisserie chicken on top! I haven’t tried this with shrimp, but I think it would be delicious too. Shrimp cook much quicker than chicken.
Kalamata Olives: We love olives, but if you don’t- feel free to skip them in this recipe (or add more!)
Artichoke Hearts: We use canned artichoke hearts in this recipe. Make sure to drain them well!
Spaghetti: We like this recipe with spaghetti, but other pasta shapes will work well too. Try it with fettuccine, or a shorter pasta like fusili or rotini! If you like smaller pasta, try this Mediterranean Chicken Orzo! Just make sure to cook your pasta to al dente!
Arugula: I love adding extra veggies to pasta dishes. The arugula wilts right into this dish and adds a nice flavor. You could use spinach, or you can skip the greens altogether.
Feta Cheese: You can add more feta or skip the feta if you’re not a fan. Crumbled goat cheese is also great in this recipe, but will melt a bit.
To Make it Lower Carb: You can use half regular pasta, half zucchini noodles to reduce the carbs in this recipe.
To Make it Lower Calorie: You can spray your pan with olive oil instead of pouring it into the pan, but it will be tough to get a good sear on the chicken.
Make it Plant Based: Skip the chicken in this recipe and substitute with your favorite plant based alternative, or simply add a little bit more veggies for a delicious dinner!
tips for making Mediterranean pasta
- Reserve pasta water: Scooping a little bit of starchy water out of a boiling pot of pasta helps to thicken the sauce. It’s a must for a yummy pasta dish!
- Scrape all the browned bits from the pan: We sear the chicken and sauté the veggies in the same pan to maximize flavor!
- Customize to your liking. Not a fan of olives? Skip them! Want more veggies, add them in! This recipe is super versatile.
How to Make
- Heat olive oil and sear seasoned chicken for 6-8 minutes over medium high heat. Flip for an additional 5-6 minutes. Set to the side.
- Add more oil to the pan and saute onion and garlic. Add cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, lemon juice, and spices.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to combine again. Stir in reserved pasta water and arugula. Top with feta cheese.
- Slice chicken and toss in with the pasta or slice and plate on top of the pasta.
what to serve with pasta
This Mediterranean Spaghetti is a complete meal as is. We like to serve it with a little bit of bread or dinner rolls (we get them from Wildgrain!).
If you’re wanting more veggies, you could serve some Parmesan Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Asparagus on the side!
How to Store
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing pasta. It can get really soggy/soft when frozen and reheated.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or a pan on the stove. We recommend spraying a pan with a little bit of olive oil and lightly sauteing until warmed through.
Other healthy pasta recipes:
Pasta is one of our favorite things to make for a quick, easy dinner. Here are some of our favorite healthier pasta recipes.
Greek Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts fat trimmed, pounded thin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup white onion diced finely
- 1 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved (16 oz)
- ¼ cup kalamata olives halved
- 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts drained & chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice juice of one lemon
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ lb spaghetti dry
- 3 cups arugula
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
Instructions
- In a pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil until it just begins to shimmer (about 2 minutes).
- Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon pepper and salt.
- Sear seasoned chicken for 6-8 minutes over medium high heat. Flip and sear for an additional 5-6 minutes- or until the chicken is golden brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a separate small pot of water to a boil for your pasta.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop garlic and onion.
- Once chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside on a clean plate.
- While the water boils, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan you seared the chicken in. The brown bits in the pan will add more flavor to the sauce- no need to clean the pan! Heat oil, and add in minced onion. Sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- While onion/garlic cook, cook pasta according to package directions. Important: while pasta is cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Once garlic is cooked, add cherry tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.
- When the tomatoes have softened, stir in artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, lemon juice and spices. Stir to combine.
- Add cooked pasta and toss to combine again. Stir in pasta water and arugula until the arugula starts to wilt.
- Top with feta cheese.
- Slice chicken and toss in with the pasta or slice and plate on top of the pasta. Optional: Garnish with fresh parsley.
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