CHICKEN PASTA ALLA VODKA
Chicken Pasta alla Vodka is a creamy, rich, and flavorful twist on my viral vodka sauce, made with tender chicken for extra protein. It’s an easy, restaurant-quality pasta dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 1 Large deep pan
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 large Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless diced, salted
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 small white/yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 tsp salt divided, more to taste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional, omit if you do not want any spice
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 12 Oz pasta of your choice (I used Gemelli in this recipe) reserve 1 cup of the pasta water
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated, more for garnish
- 4 basil leaves chopped, more for garnish
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Bring the pasta water to a boil. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with about 1 heaping tablespoon of salt.
- Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and cook for about 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vodka. Carefully pour the vodka into the skillet and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Cook the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined with the onions and garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently. The tomato paste should deepen slightly in color—this helps create a richer, more flavorful vodka sauce.
- Make the creamy vodka sauce. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper. Let the sauce gently simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Avoid letting the cream come to a rapid boil.
- Cook the pasta. While the vodka sauce simmers, add the pasta to the boiling salted water. Cook according to the package directions, stopping about 1 minute before al dente.
- Combine the pasta and sauce. Add the drained pasta directly to the creamy vodka sauce along with about 1 ladleful of the reserved pasta water. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add additional pasta water, a little at a time, if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Finish the chicken vodka pasta. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and butter. Toss everything together until the butter and cheese have melted and the sauce is creamy and coats every piece of pasta. Continue cooking over low heat for 2–3 minutes, then taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and finish with fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta water.
Nutrition
Calories: 1173kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 80g | Saturated Fat: 46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 236mg | Sodium: 2108mg | Potassium: 956mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 3636IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 3mg