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Chicken Penne alla Vodka is a 30 minute, restaurant quality pasta entree with lean chicken breast and penne pasta in a creamy tomato vodka sauce. Make chicken alla vodka for date night OR any weeknight and win hearts.
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Chicken vodka sauce pasta is so delicious, it tastes like dinner from your favorite Italian restaurant. The creamy, lustrous vodka sauce loves to be sopped up with this Homemade French Bread. Chicken alla vodka is so easy and versatile, it's perfect for date night OR busy weeknights, just like this Baked Feta Pasta.
Key ingredients
Recipe amounts are listed below.
- penne pasta - use classic or whole grain variety
- boneless skinless chicken breast - or boneless chicken thighs
- olive oil - or preferred cooking oil
- onion - white, yellow, or red
- garlic - fresh garlic cloves recommended
- vodka - any economical brand (no need to get fancy)
- canned crushed tomatoes - or any type of canned tomatoes
- heavy cream - you can sub half and half, if needed
- oregano - fresh or dried, also sub Italian seasoning
- crushed red pepper - adds a tiny bit of heat and can be adjusted up or down
- Parmesan cheese - or grated Romano
How to make chicken alla vodka
Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Boil the pasta, drain, and set aside.
Step 2: Pound chicken breast flat, season both sides, and saute in the skillet. Transfer to a cutting board, cover, and rest. Slice before adding back to the pasta.
Step 3: Saute onions and garlic. Deglaze the bottom with vodka. Then add tomatoes, heavy cream, and seasonings.
Step 4: Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer until it has slightly thickened.
Step 5: Stir cooked penne into the vodka sauce and Parmesan cheese, and continue warming. Add sliced chicken, then salt and pepper to taste. Serve and devour!
Can you taste the vodka in vodka sauce?
The vodka itself is undetectable in this dish because the alcohol cooks off during the process. As a result, you get a deep, gorgeous flavor. You can always omit the vodka, if you like.
Vodka sauce pasta recipe tips
- Substitute the vodka in this sauce with any cooking liquid such as wine, sherry, broth, or water.
- Use any type of pasta noodle for chicken vodka pasta.
- If you don't have canned crushed tomatoes, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes or even tomato sauce. If using canned, whole tomatoes, mash them into small pieces for optimal sauce texture.
- The longer you simmer the vodka sauce, the deeper the flavor.
- If your vodka sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of any cooking liquid. If it becomes too thin, simmer it long enough to reduce the excess liquid.
- To reheat, add a splash of liquid (heavy cream, milk, broth, etc) as needed to moisten the pasta because it absorbs the vodka sauce as it cools.
Try these easy pasta recipes
📖 Recipe
Chicken Penne Alla Vodka
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Video
When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Penne Pasta Noodles
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, for the pasta water
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, about 1 pound
- pinch Salt and Pepper, to season chicken
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, or preferred cooking oil
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- ¼ cup Vodka
- 1 (28 ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Fresh Oregano, or 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the penne
- Follow package instructions to cook PENNE PASTA with SALT added to the water.
- Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Briefly rinse the pasta with cool water to stop it cooking, and set aside.
For the chicken breast
- Flatten CHICKEN BREAST to ½" thickness with a flat-sided meat tenderizer. Season with SALT and PEPPER.
- Heat OLIVE OIL in skillet over med-high heat. Add CHICKEN BREAST and sauté about 3-4 minutes each side until chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, cover, and rest.
For the vodka sauce
- Continue heating skillet on med-high heat and add a splash of OLIVE OIL, if needed.
- Add ONION and GARLIC. Sauté until the onion is tender and slightly browned.
- Add VODKA and scrape the pan to release any browned bits to deglaze.
- Stir in CRUSHED TOMATOES, HEAVY CREAM, OREGANO, and CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
- Bring everything to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat to med-low and simmer about 10 minutes to thicken sauce, stirring as needed. This also cooks off the alcohol.
- Add COOKED PENNE to vodka sauce and allow to heat through, stirring as needed. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
- Add PARMESAN CHEESE to the sauce, continue heating to incorporate, stirring as needed.
- Slice the cooked chicken into ½” thick pieces and add to the vodka sauce along with the COOKED CHICKEN BREAST.
- Stir everything together. Add SALT and PEPPER to taste.
Serving and storage
- Serve warm garnished with chopped fresh OREGANO or parsley.
- To store, allow chicken pasta to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Equipment
- serving spoon
Recipe Notes
- Substitute the vodka in this sauce with any cooking liquid such as wine, sherry, broth, or water.
- Use any type of pasta noodle for chicken vodka pasta.
- If you don't have canned crushed tomatoes, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes or even tomato sauce. If using canned, whole tomatoes, mash them into small pieces for optimal sauce texture.
- The longer you simmer the vodka sauce, the deeper the flavor.
- If your vodka sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of any cooking liquid. If it becomes too thin, simmer it long enough to reduce the excess liquid.
- To reheat, add a splash of liquid (heavy cream, milk, broth, etc) as needed to moisten the pasta because it absorbs the vodka sauce as it cools.
Jackie says
Hi! I’ve made this once and it was delicious!! Wondering if I could make it in advance for a baby shower. Any tips?
Traci says
Hi Jackie! I'm so glad you're enjoying my recipe. You can definitely make in advance. Just be careful to not over cook the chicken or pasta - that way it stays tender upon reheat. Also, before storing, let it cool completely and use an airtight container for storage. One last tip, you might use boneless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts because they will stay juicy and tender, even after reheat. Also, observe the Recipe Tips in the recipe footnotes area for reheat instructions. You'll do great! Let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy!
Dean Cornwell says
My family requests this dish all the time, especially our grandson. This recipe is delicious and we all love it.
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad it has earned your family approval. This makes my day. Thank you for bringing my recipes into your kitchen and for the feedback. Enjoy!
Laurie says
Just made this tonight for dinner. A big hit. Will add to my favorites. Thank you for posting this delicious recipe!
Traci says
Yayyy Laurie! I'm so glad you discovered my recipe and even happier that you went for it! I value this feedback so much. Thank you and enjoy!
Lauren Pulley says
absolutely delicious and so easy to make! I used rotisserie chicken and added spinach to the sauce.
Traci says
Yay!!! I love knowing this! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Enjoy your weekend!!