Greek Spaghetti with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, & Feta

The moment I saw this on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it. It includes some of my absolute all time favorite things: kalamata olives, feta & tomatoes. My obsession with those three things is pretty much borderline ridiculous. One of my favorite foods of all time is a chopped vegetable Greek salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, feta & of course olives). During the summer I basically eat vats of it.

The original recipe calls the fresh tomatoes the star of the dish. Since it's winter, and tomatoes aren't exactly at the height of freshness, I decided to take it up a notch by adding some grilled chicken. You could also make it a little more health conscious by using whole wheat spaghetti, like I will next time. I only had regular spaghetti on hand, and when I looked at the nutritional label I about died.

I think this would be awesome with some sauteed shrimp too. Just saute it in the oil for a minute before adding the pasta. Yum!

Try this! It is so delicious. The heat of the pasta, and then of course the oil & the hot pan melted the feta slightly and made the "sauce" creamy and delicious. The husband and I absolutely loved it and I hope you will too!

Greek Spaghetti with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, & Feta
(Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine)

Ingredients

• One pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 C. of pitted kalamata olives, halved
• Four ounces of crumbled feta
• 1.5 T. of drained capers
• 6 T. of  Olive Oil
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 LB. of whole wheat spaghetti
• *** Two grilled chicken breasts. OPTIONAL***

Directions

1. Put the tomatoes, olives, capers & half of the feta in the bottom of a large bowl.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water and drop in the spaghetti. Cook til al dente. 
3. When the pasta is done, drain and pour into the bowl with the chopped tomatoes, olives & cheese.
4. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil on medium and then add the garlic. Cook for a minute, stirring every so often. 
5. Pour the pasta mixture into the oil & garlic. Use tongs to combine thoroughly. Let hang out in the pan for about a minute, letting the flavors come together. 
6. Plate the pasta and top each plate with the remaining feta. If desired, add some sliced grilled chicken for some extra delicious protein!