Chicken Vodka Pasta

Find more recipes at marcellinaincucina.com

Chicken and Vodka Pasta combines the classic, creamy vodka sauce with tender chicken in just 30 minutes. An ideal midweek meal or special enough for dinner with friends.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Servings: people

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) penne pasta (See Note 1)
1 pound (450 grams) boneless skinless chicken breasts (See Note 2)
¼ cup (60mls) extra virgin olive oil
½ brown onion
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounces (800 grams) canned whole tomatoes (See Note 3)
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
¼ cup (60 mls) vodka
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (for serving)

Instructions

Peel and finely chop the onion. Puree the whole tomatoes in a food processor or pass through a fine mesh sieve to create a tomato puree. Set both aside until later.
Slice the chicken into strips.
Heat ½ of the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan or skillet.
Add the chicken and fry until browned. Remove and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan without cleaning it.
Add the chopped onion to the pan. Fry gently until softened and lightly golden.
Stir in the red pepper flakes followed by the tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
While the sauce is cooking, cook the penne pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water.
When the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, stir in the cream.
Then add the browned chicken and vodka. Stir and allow to simmer for a minute or two.
Taste and adjust the sauce for seasoning.
Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Stir the drained pasta into the chicken vodka sauce along with parsley and a splash of pasta water.
Serve hot with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Notes

For best results, use high-quality dried pasta made with durum wheat flour.
Can be substituted with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Use the same amount of tomato passata if you prefer, and skip pureeing the whole canned tomatoes.

Top Tips

Don’t wash the skillet after frying the chicken; the seasoned oil adds great flavor.
Simmer the cream and vodka for just 2 minutes, then take it off the heat to avoid overcooking.
Cook your pasta in boiling salted water. Add enough salt to taste like the sea. Stir once it’s in the pot to prevent sticking, and never add olive oil when boiling pasta.
Drain the pasta and toss it straight into the rich chicken vodka sauce, stirring to coat.

Nutrition