Perfect Chicken Penne Alla Vodka
The perfect chicken penne alla vodka is only a few steps away. Juicy chicken and pasta tossed in homemade, flavor-packed vodka sauce is the ultimate pasta dinner!
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Immersion blender or regular blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/3 cup plain vodka
- ¾ cup half and half
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Salt to taste
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Bake or grill your chicken. To bake, coat chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for 17-21 minutes until the thickest part of your chicken reaches at least 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is baking, in a large pot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion and garlic. Sweat for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the tomatoes and crush into small pieces using a potato masher or scissors. Add the vodka. Stir. Uncovered, heat the sauce over medium until simmering (about 5 minutes).
- Add 1 tablespoon balsamic, parmesan, salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Let simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While sauce is simmering, make sure to take your chicken out of the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice into bite-sized chunks. Wrap in foil to keep warm.
- Boil your pasta until al-dente, according to the box directions.
- When sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend sauce until smooth. Add half and half, hot pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Blend for 10 more seconds. Keep sauce on low heat until heated through (and the pasta is ready!)
- Add drained pasta and chicken to sauce. Stir until each piece of penne is well-coated with sauce.
- Plate and garnish with fresh basil and more parmigiano!
Video
Notes
- You can immediately bake your chicken or let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours!
- Store leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days before freezing.
Nutrition
Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 1053mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 3mg