Chicken all Vodka Pasta
Chicken alla Vodka Pasta is a classic creamy Italian pasta recipe with a slightly spicy tomato sauce flavored with garlic, some cream, and vodka, tossed with meat and noodles.
Servings: 6 moderate servings (or 4 large portions)
Calories: 687kcal
Equipment
- Knife
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts (see note)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta or shape of choice
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (one large can)
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (one traditional can)
- ½ cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cook Chicken (optional, see note)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.1 pound chicken breasts, salt, black pepper
- Add oil to the skillet and cook the chicken on each side until lightly browned and cooked through, approximately 7 minutes per side (this will vary with the size of the chicken pieces).2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. When cool enough, shred or chop as desired for mixing into the pasta.
Cook Pasta
- Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta as per package directions until al dente. When done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside.1 pound penne pasta
Make Sauce
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat (you can also use the pasta pot if desired for less cleaning, it will just lengthen cooking time).
- Add the oil and when the oil is warm, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the crushed and diced tomatoes and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes.28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- Add the vodka, stir, and let cook an additional 5 minutes.½ cup vodka
- Remove the pot from the heat. Mix in the cream.1 cup heavy cream
- Season the salt to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve
- To serve, in the large pasta pot combine the sauce, pasta, and shredded chicken. If needed, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can use any cut of chicken as desired. I love to use rotisserie chicken to make it easy and fast! For leftover or rotisserie chicken, just skip the chicken cooking, shred it, and add it to the sauce to heat up before tossing with the cooked pasta. I use about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken for this recipe.
Vodka is a key ingredient and flavor for this sauce. If you skip it, the sauce will be very basic. I would recommend a pink sauce with extra herbs and cheese if you do not want to use vodka.
This would also be great with some sauteed veggies added in! Squash, onions, bell pepper, asparagus, and mushrooms would all be great options!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1/6) | Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 1010mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1017IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 4mg
