This Penne alla Vodka with Chicken is creamy, made with jar sauce and ready in under 30 minutes. Make it without vodka or add vegetables for a family friendly weeknight dinner!
Pasta for dinner is a family favorite around here. Few of our favorites include Spicy Chicken Pasta, Chicken Alfredo, Pasta with Chicken Meat Sauce or Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad.
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Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken
What’s not to love about a creamy pasta for dinner tonight? Pasta recipes are always a weeknight winner in our home like this Shrimp Pasta or the Spicy Chicken Pasta. They are comforting yet satisfying!
We shared a Penne Alla Vodka Recipe made in Instant Pot a while ago and you guys have been loving it so much that we decided to share a version made on stove top and with chicken.
This Italian American pasta dish is made with a creamy and flavorful sauce that is amazingly delicious. It is one of those simple homemade recipes that is creamy, spicy, tangy and acidic.
Does vodka sauce have vodka in it?
Yes. the sauce does contain vodka and hence the name. Since a lot of the alcohol is cooked off, you will not be left with the alcoholic taste. It rather intensifies the flavors. The sauce is enhanced with heavy cream and parmesan which makes it amazingly creamy.
Do I have to use vodka?
If you are making a penne vodka with chicken, then yes, you will need to use vodka. The acidic flavor of vodka enhances the flavor of tomato. You can replace the vodka with water to make it kid friendly.
What type of vodka to use?
Since you are not going to taste the vodka, I do not recommend investing in an expensive bottle. Use any leftover vodka at home or any cheap bottle will do the trick.
Can I make it alcohol free?
Absolutely! Replace vodka with water to make a kid friendly vodka sauce pasta with chicken.
Does vodka sauce taste like vodka?
No! Vodka is almost flavorless on its own. As it cooks in tomato sauce, the alcohol burns off even more and enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
Why are you going to love this recipe?
- Made with jar sauce for convenience
- Can be made without vodka for kids
- Made in under 30 minutes
- Perfect for meal prep
- Use your favorite pasta
- Add vegetables to make a complete meal
Pro Tips for Success
Chicken thighs - Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Make it healthy - Use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
Make it spicy - Increase red pepper flakes to about 1 tablespoon or more to make a spicy penne vodka.
Make it vegan - Use olive oil instead of butter, coconut milk instead of heavy cream and dairy free parmesan cheese instead.
Simmer until thickened - This will ensure that the alcohol will cook off. If you don’t cook the sauce for long enough, you may end up with a harsh aftertaste from the alcohol.
Variations
My favorite part about this chicken penne vodka recipe is that you can customize with whatever you have at home. Mix-in any of the following ingredients -
- Without Vodka - Simply replace vodka with water
- Shrimp - Cook some shrimp before adding chicken, transfer to a bowl and then proceed to the recipe. Stir in cooked shrimp along with pasta.
- Broccoli - Add broccoli to the boiling water during the last couple of minutes of pasta cooking. Drain along with pasta and stir into the chicken vodka sauce along with penne.
- Peas - Add frozen peas to the boiling water during the last couple of minutes of pasta cooking. Drain along with pasta and stir into the vodka cream sauce along with penne.
- Spinach - Add baby spinach along with the marinara sauce
- Mushrooms - Cook sliced mushrooms before adding chicken, transfer to a bowl and then proceed to the recipe. Stir in cooked mushrooms along with pasta.
- Rotisserie chicken - Stir in chopped rotisserie chicken along with marinara sauce.
Key Ingredients
Penne pasta - Any pasta that you have at around
Chicken - We used boneless skinless chicken breasts
Marinara sauce – We used Prego (tomato, basil and garlic)
Heavy cream
Vodka – Plain vodka
Flavorings & Aromatics – Onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
Cheese - Shredded parmesan
How to make?
Step-1: Cook pasta until al dente.
Step-2: Heat butter in a large saute pan, Cook cubed chicken and cook until half done. Stir in chopped onion, garlic and all seasonings. Cook for couple of minutes.
Step-3: Stir in marinara, heavy cream and vodka. Cook for for a few minutes until thickened slightly.
Step-4: Toss in cooked penne, parmesan and basil.
How to make ahead?
Make chicken and vodka sauce in advance:
Prepare the sauce according to the recipe instructions (do not add pasta), cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To reheat, pour the sauce back into a saucepan and cook in low heat, until heated through.
Make pasta in advance:
Cook pasta until al dente, drain and rinse thoroughly (this helps the pasta not stick to each other).
Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Add pasta to hot sauce to reheat and stir in low heat for a few minutes.
What can I serve with penne all vodka?
This pasta is delicious on it own or can be served with
- Garlic bread
- Parmesan bread bites
- Soft Garlic Knots
- Sheet Pan Roasted Broccoli
- Avocado Rolls
- Roasted broccoli
- Stuffed Mushrooms
How to store leftovers?
To refrigerate - Refrigerate leftover penne vodka in air tight containers for up to 5 days. Microwave until heated through.
To freeze: Transfer into a freezer safe container, seal tight and freeze for up to a month. Simply thaw at room temperature and warm in microwave to re heat.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Freeze sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Use any other pasta in place of penne such as fusilli, ziti, rigatoni, mostaccioli or farfelle. Even linguini or spaghetti will work.
Yes. Some of the alcohol is cooked off when the sauce is simmered, but some of the alcohol is still retained.
More Penne Pasta recipes with Chicken
- Butter Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Mushroom Pasta No Cream
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Penne
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
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Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken
This Penne alla Vodka with Chicken is creamy, made with jar sauce and ready in under 30 minutes. Make it without vodka or add vegetables for a family friendly weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 8 ounce penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more or less)
- 1 and ½ cups marinara sauce, I used Prego (tomato, basil and garlic)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Vodka, plain
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (I used ¾ teaspoon)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
To finish
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
1. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add butter when hot and let melt. Add chicken and spread them into a single layer. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes (without disturbing).
3. Add onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to the chicken, cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked and onion is translucent.
4. Stir in marinara sauce, heavy cream and vodka. Cook, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly and thickened.
5. Stir in cooked pasta, parmesan cheese and basil. Toss well and serve.
Notes
Type of vodka – Since you are not going to taste the vodka, I do not recommend investing in an expensive bottle. Use any leftover vodka at home or any cheap bottle will do the trick.
Chicken thighs – Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Make it alcohol free – Replace vodka with water to make a kid friendly vodka sauce pasta with chciken
Make it healthy – Use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
Make it spicy – Increase red pepper flakes to about 1 tablespoon or more to make a spicy penne vodka.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 623Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 1051mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 15g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. The information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com, although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health and ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate.
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Kathleen Evans
I have made this twice and we have enjoyed it very much first time with vodka and this time with out.
Maria Doss
Hi Kathleen,
Glad you loved it hun, Maria
Nancy
Delicious and easy meal. I used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream because it was what I had and it worked fine. Would probably be even better with cream. I added mushrooms and spinach…. So delicious. Thank you!
Maria Doss
Glad you liked it hun, Maria