Penne alla Vodka with Chicken

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This penne alla vodka with chicken is super creamy and flavorful! It combines a dairy-free vodka sauce, juicy chicken breast pieces, and chewy pasta. It’s perfect for a simple, yet delicious weeknight dinner!

penne alla vodka with chicken in a bowl with a fork

This penne alla vodka with chicken is a variation of my vegan penne alla vodka recipe. It is perfect for anyone who wants to try penne alla vodka, but can’t eat the butter, heavy cream, and cheese that’s usually added to vodka penne.

The addition of Mexican-spiced chicken breast pieces enhances the flavor of the sauce and adds more protein to the meal. Now add your favorite vegetables and you’ll have a balanced and incredibly delicious meal!

What is penne alla vodka?

Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish that is usually made with penne, vodka, tomato paste or tomato sauce, heavy cream, butter, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. The final result is a creamy, cheesy, and incredibly flavorful tomato-based sauce!

But if this sounds a little heavy or you simply can’t eat dairy, this penne alla vodka with chicken recipe might be what you were looking for! It uses a cashew Alfredo sauce that adds the creaminess and cheesiness of traditional vodka penne without the need to add any dairy.

The best part is that it actually tastes very similar to classic penne alla vodka! It’s super creamy, cheesy, and delicious.

Ingredients

To make this penne alla vodka with chicken, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Chicken breasts: Use regular skinless and boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. Just make sure that they have the same size to ensure that they cook at the same time.
Spices: To season the chicken breasts, you’ll need paprika powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, and ground cumin. If you don’t have these spices on hand, you can buy Cajun seasoning or chili powder as an alternative since they are seasoning blends that go really well with this dish.
Penne: I love to use penne or rigatoni, but feel free to use you favorite pasta to make this dish. If you want to make this dish gluten-free, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Aromatics: Garlic and red onion are needed to add flavor to the sauce! You can use yellow onion as a substitute for red onion, but I highly recommend using red onion if you can. It really tastes different!
Vodka: No vodka sauce without vodka! Just grab a bottle and use it to make this pasta dish.
Tomato passata: I recommend using tomato passata or tomato sauce instead of tomato paste to make vodka penne. It just gives the sauce a more balanced taste.
Cashew Alfredo sauce: I love to make the cashew Alfredo sauce at home since it is very easy to make and much cheaper than store-bought sauces! You’ll need cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, a blender, and 5 minutes to make the sauce. It really is that simple!
Red pepper flakes: Red pepper flakes add a little bit of extra spice, so don’t forget to use them.
Parsley: I love to add parsley or fresh basil to my pasta dishes! For this recipe I prefer parsley since I think that it goes better with the chicken and spices, but feel free to use fresh basil leaves as a substitute.
Parmesan cheese: Always keep some parmesan cheese in your refrigerator and garnish all of your pasta dishes with it. It looks cute and tastes amazing!

How to make penne alla vodka with chicken

Making penne alla vodka with chicken is super easy! Just follow these steps:

Marinate and bake the chicken: First, preheat your oven to 425 °F/220 °C. Next, season the chicken breasts with the spice blend and olive oil. Then bake the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes. When the chicken breasts are cooked through, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Make the sauce: Next, cook the cashews for 5 minutes in boiling water. Add the cashews and the remaining sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until the sauce is creamy.
Cook the pasta: Next, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Save some pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Prepare the sauce: While the pasta cooks, sauté the garlic and red onion in a pan with some olive oil. Add the vodka, tomato passata, cashew Alfredo sauce, and pasta water. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Then let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes.
Combine: Now add the pasta and chicken breast pieces. Toss, garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

Here are a few additional tips and notes to read through before you try this recipe.

Don’t overcook the chicken. Chicken breasts can become dry very quickly, so make sure you don’t overcook them. After removing the chicken breasts from the oven, they continue to cook. Plus, they’ll cook with the sauce. If you are unsure, use an instant read meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.
Cook the pasta until al dente. If you fully cook the pasta before adding it to the sauce, it might overcook and become too soft. Always cook the pasta al dente and finish cooking it in the sauce.
Use pasta water as needed. The amount of pasta water you’ll need can vary. So save more than you’ll probably use and add as much pasta water as you need to thin the sauce.
Add red pepper flakes to taste. The amount of red pepper flakes really depends on how spicy they are and how spicy you want the penne alla vodka to be. So use as much as you like!

Bonus Ingredients

I love to enjoy pasta for dinner as you can add all kinds of vegetables to the sauce! I highly recommend adding some vegetables to this penne alla vodka with chicken. Here are my favorites:

Baby spinach: Baby spinach is one of my favorite vegetables for pasta sauces! It tastes great and adds a bunch of nutrients to your meal. You can add the baby spinach with the pasta and let it wilt in the sauce.
Cherry tomatoes: Another favorite are cherry tomatoes. Just sauté them with the garlic and onion. They taste great with this pasta dish!
Red bell pepper: I also love thinly sliced red bell pepper. It cooks very quickly and really adds to the taste of this vodka penne with chicken.
Zucchini: This pasta recipe is perfect for using any leftover zucchini! It tastes great, goes really well with the sauce, and cooks very quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make penne alla vodka without vodka?

Yes, you can just skip the vodka. The sauce will taste different, but it’s still going to be delicious! So if you can’t add the vodka, feel free to skip it. If you can add it, I highly recommend it.

Can you make penne alla vodka without vodka?

How do I store leftovers?

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. I recommend reheating leftovers in a pan and adding a small amount of water to thin the sauce. Another option is using a microwave and adding some water.

More quick and delicious pasta recipes

I love to make pasta for dinner as it is super quick and easy to prepare! The following recipes are absolute favorites as they are super simple and delicious.

5 from 2 votes