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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
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Penne Pasta Noodles, or other pasta
- 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 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta:Cook the PENNE PASTA in a 4-quart stockpot of salted water.Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain, rinse briefly to stop the pasta cooking, and set aside.
- Cook the chicken:Pound the CHICKEN BREAST to ½" thickness and season with SALT and PEPPER.Preheat a 3-quart saute pan or skillet over medium heat until it's ripping hot. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering. *See recipe footnote about cookware.Cook the chicken 3–4 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.Transfer to a board, cover, and let it rest.
- Make the vodka sauce:In the same skillet, add a splash of OLIVE OIL.Sauté the ONION and GARLIC until soft and lightly browned.Add VODKA and scrape the pan to deglaze.Stir in the CRUSHED TOMATOES, HEAVY CREAM, OREGANO, and CRUSHED RED PEPPER.Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer about 10 minutes.
- Finishing steps:Add the COOKED PENNE and a splash of pasta water if the sauce feels thick.Stir in PARMESAN CHEESE until melted. Slice the chicken and add it to the sauce.Season with SALT and PEPPER.
- Serve and store:Serve warm with fresh OREGANO or parsley.Cool leftovers completely, then refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot to boil pasta
- 12-inch casserole skillet or 3-quart saute pan or Dutch oven
- serving spoon
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Megan viola says
absolutely delicious!!! my whole family loved this
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad you went for it and loved it! Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!!
Eileen says
Absolutely Delicious! Very easy recipe to follow! Everyone loved it!!
Traci says
Yay! So glad you went for it and thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!!
Kayscie Long says
My husband recommended that I make this, I am interested in trying new things making things from scratch and he’s only had this one other time and I re-created it last night with skyy vodka, my husband was in tears with the memories that it fondled. I was so proud. The color, the taste, AMAZING. Thank you for sharing..
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you found your way to my recipe and went for it. This is truly one of my favorite pasta dinners for all the same reasons. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience 🙂 Enjoy!!
Sue says
Loved this recipe. I made homemade pasta with my pasta machine (ready in 10 minutes) with a GF flour and turned this into a wonderful, easy LC recipe with fantastic flavor. I also doubled the recipe with no problems at all. I agree with other comments that state salt at the end is important to bring out all the flavors.
Traci says
Yay! Sounds like you made it your own and I'm glad it worked for you. Yes, I leave salting up to the cook - no need to overdo it for anyone 🙂 Thanks so much. Enjoy!
Jeffrey says
Highly recommend! In fact, I crave it on the regular - pure comfort food. Your step photos make it so easy to see the process - great for beginners!
I love how your recipes AREN'T overly salty and you give the cook more control. Only downside is that someone might "under" salt and blame you for lack of flavor LOL. Thanks for assuming the risk 😉
Traci says
Yay! I appreciate this. This recipe can be tricky, so I wanted to get the steps detailed properly – I want perfectly cooked chicken and pasta for myself and anyone who makes this dish LOL. Thanks again. Enjoy!!
Nan says
Easy peasy and oh so very tasty! Dinner in a dish! Honestly! All done in under 30 minutes too!
Traci says
Ohhh how did I miss this feedback? Thank you so much for taking the time. I'm glad to see it one year later lol. Thanks again! Enjoy!
Joanne says
The taste and flavor were wonderful but I would not call this recipe easy. I come from a family line of great cooks. My Mom and both grandmother's were wonderful in the kitchen. My sister and I and even our son's all love and enjoy cooking. I'm an experienced cook that has cooked many many different recipes and instructions. I'd call this of moderate difficulty. I tried yours because it said it was easy! This was misleading and led to more work and adaptation than expected. I have a favorite cookbook that tells the difficulty of each recipe and I've always liked it because I can count on the indicated level of accuracy.
This recipe is a great one but needed an honest evaluation of it's level of difficulty. I will probably look at other
chefs and see if I can get a more honest one.
Traci says
That's unfortunate. This is the first time I've received this feedback on this recipe. I carefully wrote the instructions with beginner cooks in mind as I usually do. I'd love to know what would make this recipe easier for you if you care to share 🙂 Thanks so much and hope to hear back from you!
Ryan K. says
Restaurant quality is an understatement! This chicken vodka sauce made me look like a five star Italian chef! If you have to cook for a group or for two this recipe hits the spot consistently! I love the check lists and the fact that I’m not getting a million pop up mobile ads!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yessss! Thank you for the kind words and I'm so glad you're loving this recipe 🙂 It's one of my favorite one pot pastas!
Connie says
This was so delicious! It was a hit all around.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad you enjoyed it, Connie! You almost can't go wrong with Chicken alla Vodka 😉 I appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
Susan B. says
I was looking forward to eating this because I had tried it many years ago at a restaurant and loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and although it looked great when complete and the chicken was nice and juicy, the dish as a whole did not have much flavor to either me or my husband. The addition of salt after it was plated did help. However, we both felt it needed more flavor overall. I did use dried oregano since I did not have fresh, and I only simmered the sauce for the minimum 20 minutes…probably fresh oregano and more simmering would have increased the flavor a bit.
The Kitchen Girl says
No problem, Susan. I've never had feedback about this recipe lacking flavor, but everyone is different. In my own kitchen, I almost always find that lack of flavor means the salt-to-ingredient ratio is off balance because I'm so conservative with it lol. I wrote this as a salt-to-taste recipe, so I would simply start by adding more if you make it again. Also, add it to the pasta before serving to it's well-combined. Hope this helps and thanks for bringing my recipes into your kitchen. I'm here for questions anytime 🙂
Mary Rivard says
In the past you had a recipe call "One Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta" it had no tomatoes in the recipe - other than sundried tomatoes. I cannot find that recipe on your recipe page anymore. Did you delete it? This recipe was good - but the One Pot Chicken Pasta recipe was fabulous. Could you relist it? Thanks!
Traci says
Hiya! You are correct and I plan to republish it but haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. Thank you for asking and keep an eye out for it 🙂
J Allen says
Finishing up leftovers tonight and I must say this chicken vodka sauce recipe is hands-down the best and easiest version I've come across. Not to mention, easy to follow instructions, all the way down to reheating. It's just SO good!
Lauren says
I rarely comment online ... but had to for this recipe. It's DELICIOUS! I did make some minor changes/omissions. Added diced pancetta but did not add spinach as I didn't have any. The chicken breast I had meal prepped earlier in the week (cooked in white wine on 300 degrees F for 45 minutes ... then shredded and kept in air tight container). Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Lauren...love the Pancetta idea YUMMM! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe...thanks for the feedback 🙂
Gabe says
I made this for the family last night and everyone loved it. Followed the recipe almost exactly except I added mushrooms with the veggies. The pan sauce came out awesome. Will definitely make this again.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Gabe! This is one of my absolute favs and I love the mushroom add-in idea...YUMM! Thanks for the feedback - I really appreciate it 🙂
JB says
Delicious, easy recipe, especially for a guy who doesn't cook much. Love the Chicken Vodka Pasta! Ten stars!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, JB! I'm soooo glad this one works so well for you 🙂 One-pot pasta doesn't get any more delicious than THIS!
Hannah F Healy says
Yum! This looks so good. I love how quick the recipe is!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Hannah! Yes, dinner in 30! 🙂
Alison says
This looks great! Love the fresh ingredients and step by step instructions with pictures.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Alison! Hope you enjoy!
Liz says
I am taking a break from pasta, pizza, bread but I I'm going to try this with quinoa!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Liz...hope you love it!
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff says
my favourite kind of recipe! Delicious and easy to make. The sauce was to die for. Thanks for sharing!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha that's exactly how we feel about it! Thanks, Courtney...so glad you enjoyed!
Irina says
As a lover of Italian food, this pasta recipe is on my list to make! It sounds flavorful and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Irina! Hope you love it like we do! 🙂
Vicky says
I love one pot dinners and the fact that this one cooks up so quickly makes it a winner in my book. This is one of my favorite dishes to get when I eat out.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Vicky! If you are a penne alla vodka fan, you'll love this recipe! 🙂
Denise says
One pot meals are the best thing ever. I am loving the looks of this recipe, it looks quite delicious - its a win with me!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thanks, Denise! So glad to hear it! 🙂
Jordin says
I love one pan dinners for busy weeknights! They are so quick, and clean up is a breeze!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Jordin! Meeee too! Chicken pasta = one pot and two plates 🙂
Beth says
I love recipes like this one that make me feel like I went out to a nice restaurant but didn't have to pay the restaurant prices!! Budget friendly and delicious - perfect!!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Beth! Yep, that's how we feel every time we make this recipe 🙂
Joanne Gledhill says
This looks so yummy. I plan on making it very soon. I may add mushrooms I see so many ways I can play around after I make your version. Thanks for all the recipes. I no longer grab a cookbook since I have you providing so many great recipes.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Joanne! Yes, mushrooms will be great in this dish! Love hearing this feedback and I'm glad you're enjoying my recipes 🙂