Penne alla Vodka With Chicken
This quick and easy penne alla vodka with chicken is made with a silky smooth, incredibly rich and creamy vodka sauce and can be on the table in about 30 minutes.
Servings 3 to 4 servings
Calories 692kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound (about 2 medium) boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more as needed
- 8 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ cup (66g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to boil for the pasta.
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through and use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl. Deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping any cooked-on bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Discard the liquid and wipe out the pot with a paper towel so the bottom of the pot is mostly clean.
- Add pasta to pasta water and cook according to box instructions until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, add remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter to the pot you used to cook the chicken and heat over medium heat.
- Once melted, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, until garlic is beginning to turn golden and aromatic.
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until paste darkens in color and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Switch to a heat-resistant whisk and turn heat to low. Carefully add the vodka (the sauce will sizzle and pop aggressively for a few seconds). Whisk, scraping any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pan as you go, until the vodka is incorporated into the sauce.
- Whisk in heavy cream, and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth, uniform in color, and heated through. Do not allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
- When the pasta is nearly done, use a heat-proof measuring cup to scoop out ¼ cup of the cooking water and whisk it into your sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain or use a slotted spoon or spider skimmer to scoop out pasta, and add it your sauce. Stir to combine.
- Stir in cooked chicken. Allow the pasta to sit for 3 to 5 minutes to give the sauce a chance to thicken and the chicken time to warm up in the hot sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 692kcal