Chicken and Vodka Pasta (Weeknight Penne alla Vodka)

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This Creamy Chicken and Vodka Pasta Dinner is comforting, filling, and delicious. It’s one of those perfect weeknight dinners to have on rotation but impressive enough to also serve to guests!

This Chicken and Vodka Tomato Sauce Pasta is my ‘weeknight’ version of Penne alla vodka. It’s quick and easy, but also adds in chicken so you have a complete meal that’s creamy and satisfying. It’s simple enough for a mother to love and ‘fancy’ enough that my teens feel like they are getting something special.

The chicken is seared to give all of the browned deliciousness on the bottom of the pan to start. Then a touch of vodka is added to deglaze the pan to impart a rich flavor backdrop. Tomatoes and tomato paste work their magic with lots of minced garlic. Then heavy cream balances all of this tang out and gives that silky finish.

Do you meal plan your dinners?  It makes weeknights so much easier!  Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Pasta Sundays meal planning calendar!

Jump to:

• Why Your Family will Love this Recipe
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment
• Easy Prep and Cooking Steps
• Variations on Chicken Penne Vodka
• Chicken and Penne Vodka FAQs
• Want More Easy Chicken Pasta Dinners?
• Creamy Chicken and Vodka Pasta Sauce Recipe
• Comments

Why Your Family will Love this Recipe

Well, it’s hard to go wrong with pasta. But while you and I know this is an easy-peasy dinner, this dish presents itself as something a bit more elevated or special than your traditional tomato sauce. So, here are my top reasons to love this dinner…

1. Feels Special – It feels like a special pasta dinner that you would only get at a restaurant. That means you and your family will hopefully feel not only satisfied, but maybe a little bit pampered.
2. It’s a Fast 30-Minute Dinner – Yup, quick and easy – AND even quicker if you make the chicken and sauce ahead and then just reheat and cook pasta on the weeknight you eat it.
3. Feeds a Crowd! – Whether you are feeding your family of 4 or 6 including the additional 2 friends that came home after soccer practice, this is a dish that can feed a crowd! Simply add in more pasta and tomato sauce and you can extend this meal simply.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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• 16 oz Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless – I like to use boneless chicken breast and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper – This is all that’s needed for the chicken before searing it in the pan
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is for cooking the chicken.
• Vodka – This recipe only uses a little so you want to use a good quality vodka. You can eliminate the vodka and still have a delicious dish.
• Chicken Broth or stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes – I like the chunks of tomato that you get with diced. However, you can substitute in pureed, crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes that you crush with your hands. Tomato sauce will work too. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more deep flavor.
• Tomato Paste – Tomato paste gives really deep tomato flavor. If you don’t have it, you can simply leave it out.
• Dried oregano – You can substitute dried Italian seasoning, marjoram, basil, or a combination.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! If you don’t have fresh, you can use garlic powder or flakes.
• Penne Pasta, uncooked – You can use any pasta that you like or have on hand. The key is to not overcook it as this is a thick sauce.
• Heavy Cream  – This is the key ingredient to making the sauce silky and creamy. If heavy cream feels too heavy, there are a few substitutes you can use. Half and half is a nice step down. It a bit thinner, so you may want to add a bit less so the sauce isn’t too runny. Non-dairy milk, such as coconut milk or coconut cream, will also work as long as it is unsweetened.
• Reserved Pasta Water – Make sure to save some of the water after cooking the pasta, as the starchy water can help to extend and thicken the sauce when you add the pasta.

There are few other ingredients that you can add in. To spice it up, you can add red pepper flakes. For a nice finish, some fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. And to help scrape up every last delicious bite of sauce, a good crusty bread or even garlic bread.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

I made this recipe using my favorite large frying 12″ Ceramic Pan. It’s great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.  You can use any large frying pan or skillet or even dutch oven.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Easy Prep and Cooking Steps

Prep 1-2 days ahead

If you want to get ahead and leave only minimal cooking steps for the busy weeknight, then you can prep the chicken and mince the garlic.

Cut the chicken breast into 1-2 inch pieces and then season all sides with salt and pepper. Store the prep in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the garlic, you can mince it and store it separately in the fridge as well.

Cooking Steps

Tip: I like to get all of my ingredients out and ready on the counter. I even premeasure things before I start cooking and put the containers away, so there is less work after the meal.

Cook the penne pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water to use later in the sauce.  Then set aside until you are ready to add to the sauce.

NOTE: you do not want to over cook the pasta as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

Preheat a large skillet on high heat. Add 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil and spread it around the skillet.

Once the broth is added, you can turn the heat back on to medium high heat. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, and oregano. Stir gently to combine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

TIP: If you do not have a cover for your skillet, you can use a sheet pan or just aluminum foil.

Finally, gently fold in the cooked pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water at time until you get your desired consistency.

Variations on Chicken Penne Vodka

There are lots of ways to customize this dinner recipe, but here are a few that are easy and good for families.

• Add Bacon or Pancetta – Adding in some smoky bacon or salty pancetta to this vodka sauce recipe is a great way to add more depth and flavor to this recipe. Start by rendering the fat from the bacon or pancetta pieces in the pan and then once the pieces are crispy, transfer them to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind. Then add the seasoned chicken to the fat to sear!
• Chicken, Mushrooms, and Peas – Really round out this recipe with some veggies! Slice mushrooms browned up in the skillet before the chicken is a wonderful way to bring that mushroomy flavor to the dish and add texture. Peas bring a bright pop of sweet and texture as well. Simply add them frozen when you add the tomato sauce.
• Sundried Tomato or Roasted Red Pepper – Either of these additions can bring a tangy and sweet element to your sauce. You can chop them up or slice them and add them in with the vodka and broth.

Chicken and Penne Vodka FAQs

Can I Use Rotisserie Or Leftover Chicken Or Turkey?

To save time, you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken or turkey in this Chicken Vodka Pasta recipe.  Cut the chicken or turkey into cubes or shred it.  Then instead of searing the chicken in the pan before making the sauce, you will add it to the sauce at the end. 

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead Of Breasts?

Yes, you can use skinless boneless chicken thighs in this recipe. For 16 ounces or 1 pound of chicken for 4 servings, you will likely need 5-6 boneless skinless thighs, depending on their size. The recipe instructions will be the same for thighs as the breasts.

Can I make this Chicken Vodka Sauce Pasta ahead?

You can make the chicken and sauce ahead and mix with the pasta when you are ready to eat. Or you can make the entire dish including the pasta in advance. For anything cooked in advance, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can place in a wide bottom pot or pan covered in the oven at 350 F degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Want More Easy Chicken Pasta Dinners?

Stove top, skillet Chicken and Pasta dinners are so easy and satisfying for weeknight dinners. Here are some other delicious options.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!