Chicken Penne Ala Vodka Recipes

PENNE ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Measure the vodka and keep it near the stove.
• In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once it is hot and shimmering, add the onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Carefully add the vodka (be especially cautious if your stove has an open flame). Scrape with a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze the pan, then let the vodka cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring this sauce to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Adjust the heat as needed so that the sauce simmers gently so it continues to reduce but does not bubble aggressively. Let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the half and half and let simmer 5 minutes more.
• While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in the boiling water to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and immediately add it to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta, adding a bit of the pasta cooking liquid to loosen the sauce as needed. Stir in the Parmesan. Serve hot, sprinkled with basil or parsley.

PENNE ALLA VODKA WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1 Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat
• 2 Once the butter has melted and the foaming subsides, add the onion; cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes
• 3 Add the garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute
• 4 Add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the basil, if using
• 5 Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the mixture is barely bubbling; cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced to 4 cups
• 6 Discard the basil
• 7 Working in batches as needed, transfer the sauce to a blender
• 8 Add the cream and vodka
• 9 Remove the center knob on the lid (to allow steam to escape); place a paper towel over the lid opening to avoid splash-ups
• 10 Starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to high, blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds
• 11 Return to the saucepan and bring just to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook, allowing the sauce to reduce further while the pasta cooks
• 12 Place the pasta in a large pot and cover with hot water by a couple of inches
• 13 Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking
• 14 Continue to cook until the pasta is fully softened but retains a slight bite in the center
• 15 Meanwhile, about 2 minutes before the pasta is done (when you can bite into the pasta, but it still resists more than you'd be comfortable dealing with on the plate), add the chicken to the sauce and stir to combine
• 16 Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water, then return the pasta to the pot
• 17 Stir to combine, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has achieved the desired consistency, about 1 minute, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water as necessary
• 18 Serve right away, topped with the parsley and grated cheese (to taste)

PENNE ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions.
• Saute the garlic and onions in 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until soft. Pour in the vodka, being careful if your stove has an open flame (remove the pan from the heat before adding). Cook and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in the tomato puree. Stir the mixture until it's thoroughly combined, then reduce the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream. Stir to combine, then turn heat to the lowest simmer possible. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Pour the drained pasta into the sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle on the Parmesan, then sprinkle on more red pepper flakes if desired.

CHICKEN PENNE ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Follow package instructions to cook PENNE PASTA with SALT added to the water.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Briefly rinse the pasta with cool water to stop it cooking, and set aside.
• Flatten CHICKEN BREAST to 1/2" 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.
• 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 1/2" thick pieces and add to the vodka sauce along with the COOKED CHICKEN BREAST.
• Stir everything together. Add SALT and PEPPER to taste.
• 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.

INSTANT POT® PENNE ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Select High temperature setting, and preheat the pot for 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter and oil. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
• Pour in vodka and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Cancel Saute function. Stir in water, penne, and salt. Pour tomatoes over penne; do not stir. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 4 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Stir in cream and Parmesan cheese; let stand for 3 minutes. Stir in pepper.

CHICKEN WITH PENNE ALA VODKA

Steps:

• First cook chicken as above in large heavy pan in corn oil. Remove from pan and place on paper towels. Reserve corn oil and use same pan, adding diced shallots first cooking at medium heat until golden, then diced red pepper cooking for 2-3 minutes until softened, then add coarsely diced mushrooms and cook until softened. Add 1 1/2 TBSp flour and the butter and cook stirring constantly until lightly browned. Add milk until sauce is moderately thick cooking over medium heat. Add plentiful ground pepper and salt to taste and thin with 1/4 cup or so vodka and then serve over hot penne cooked al dente.