Easy Creamy Chicken Vodka Sauce Pasta

This easy creamy chicken vodka sauce pasta has tender pieces of chicken and a gorgeous flavor thanks to the lusciously rich creamy sauce and special cooking techniques.

Vodka pasta or penne a la vodka originated in the 80s in Italy and was one of the first pasta sauces to include cream. The vodka helps achieve a beautiful pink hue and unique flavor. 

But no need to fret, you can’t taste the alcohol in the sauce. All the alcohol evaporates while cooking so that you or your guests don’t get wasted. 

Why We Love This Easy Penne Alla Vodka With Chicken Recipe

This vodka cream sauce chicken pasta is an easy and delicious meal that’ll impress your guests or family. It tastes like pasta from a high-end Italian restaurant but requires minimal effort and cooking skills.

Creamy vodka sauce pasta is a flawless combination of tomatoes, herbs, cream, chicken, and pasta! I love serving garlic bread with this meal to drench in the remaining sauce. 

The easy pasta vodka cream sauce calls for Italian peeled tomatoes that give the pasta a fresh and sweet flavor. You can also add fresh oregano or basil to make it more aromatic. Check our Notes and Substitutions for more ideas. 

What Are The Ingredients For This Easy Vodka Chicken Pasta?

To make this easy creamy penne alla vodka recipe with chicken, you’ll need:

• 8 oz Penne Rigate pasta (you can use whole wheat too)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 16 oz. canned Italian peeled tomatoes
• 1 onion minced
• 4 garlic cloves crushed or minced
• ½ cup heavy cream (sub light cream or half and half if needed)
• 2 shots of vodka about 1/3 cup
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp. Italian seasoning)
• ½ freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
• ¼ cup pasta water (from cooking the pasta)
• Salt & Pepper to season

How To Make Pasta With Vodka Sauce And Chicken

We’ve already shared a recipe for Spicy Vodka Pasta that teaches you how to make creamy vodka pasta sauce, but let’s level it up and add tender chicken pieces!

Step 1: Sear the chicken breasts

Pound the chicken breasts in between plastic wraps to even them out. But don’t turn them into mush. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Cook chicken in olive oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Step 3: Set aside the chicken

Transfer to a cutting board and cover for later. Don’t clean the pan, you’ll want to deglaze all those delicious bits of chicken that browned at the bottom of the pan. Free flavor!

Step 4: Make the sauce

In the same saucepan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.

Add onion and let it cook for 5 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic and cook, while stirring, for another 2 minutes.

Once the onion and garlic are soft, pour vodka into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the tasty chicken bits that got stuck. Let the alcohol evaporate for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, crush the peeled canned tomatoes with a potato masher or with your hands, and toss them into the pan. Season with some salt and pepper and let the sauce cook until thick and no longer watery. For about 15-20 minutes.

Step 5: Add cream and basil to tomato sauce and simmer

Once the tomato sauce is thick, stir in the heavy cream and fresh basil leaves, and wait until it starts bubbling. Turn the heat down to low while you boil the pasta.

Step 6: Cook the pasta

Boil the pasta in salted water, according to the package’s instructions. It usually takes 10 min to cook penne pasta al dente. Save the pasta water.

Step 7: Combine penne, chicken, and sauce with pasta water

Once it’s cooked to perfection, add the penne and the chicken to the sauce, together with ¼ cup of pasta water. Stir to coat in creamy goodness and let cook until heated through (about 1 minute).

Step 8: Stir in freshly grated parmesan for a creamy finish

Then add freshly grated parmesan cheese and mix until lusciously creamy.

Step 9: Season and serve with extra parmesan. Enjoy!

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with more grated parmesan cheese. Bon appetite!

Notes & Substitutions

• Be patient with the tomato sauce. The longer you cook it, the creamier and richer the final sauce will be. Most of the water in the tomato sauce should have evaporated before you add the cream.
• You can start boiling the pasta water while making the sauce but don’t cook the pasta before the sauce is ready. Making sure the pasta is freshly cooked optimizes the flavor and texture. 
• Unless you like crispy onion in your sauce, cook the onion until soft and golden before adding the vodka and the rest of the ingredients. Some people might not mind it, but I find that undercooked onion disturbs the creaminess of the sauce.
• Add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if needed. You can also put a piece of carrot in the tomato sauce while it’s cooking to absorb the acidity.
• Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you prefer dark meat. I find this makes the penne alla vodka with chicken even more delectable.
• Use good quality Italian peeled tomatoes if you can get your hands on them. You can also use pre-crushed tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes. We have a complete list of crushed tomato substitutes here. 
• You can’t feel the vodka in this sauce and there’s no alcohol, so it’s safe for everyone to eat. But if you don’t want to use vodka, you can substitute white wine, broth, or even water. All work well for deglazing the pan.
• You can use any pasta shape you prefer or even make pasta from scratch. Just bear in mind that fresh pasta takes only 2-3 min to cook. Check out this recipe for homemade pasta shapes you can make without a pasta machine. 

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