Image from Pixabay.com
Penne vodka with chicken is a delicious, quick, and easy recipe for any time of the day. It’s a great go-to for weekday dinners or when you are craving pasta. Preparing penne vodka with chicken can be done in less than 30 minutes. The best part about this recipe is that there are so many variations that you can try. You could make it healthier by omitting the heavy cream and using low-fat milk instead, or you could add more cheese to give it some extra flavor. Additionally, you can stir fry some vegetables and add it to your penne vodka with chicken for a more healthy dish. Either way, this pasta recipe is bound to be a hit!
Make The Vodka Sauce
First, put some oil and a teaspoon of salt into a pan. Next, cut up garlic and onion. Add this into the oil and salt mixture and cook until the garlic and onion become fragrant. Next, add in the tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes. The next step is to add 1/4 cup of vodka. This will cook off and add a tanginess to your sauce. Then, add the heavy cream. As previously mentioned, for a healthier option, you can add low-fat milk instead of heavy cream. Season with generous amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, onion powder, and grated cheese. Finally, add fresh basil on top. The earlier in the day that you make the vodka sauce and let it sit, the better it will taste later. For best results, cook the vodka sauce around 1 PM and let sit for about 5 hours, serving around 6 PM. The vodka sauce will last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, so if you make a big batch of the sauce, you can keep boiling pasta to add to it for leftovers.
Cook The Chicken
The next step is to cook the chicken. Whether you cook your chicken grilled or fried is up to you. Either way, it will taste delicious coated in the vodka sauce and grated cheese. If you want to grill the chicken, cut up chicken breasts and grill them in a pan with some oil. You can season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Fried chicken, on the other hand, is a longer process to cook, but it tastes more delicious than grilled chicken. Dip your chicken cutlets in breadcrumbs, flower, egg, and seasoning. Then, fry the chicken cutlets in an oiled pan until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. You cannot go wrong with either grilled chicken or fried chicken for this dish.
Cook The Pasta
Next, it’s time to cook the pasta. Put the water into a pot and wait for it to boil. Season the water with salt. Next, add in your pasta and cook until al-dente. The preferred shape for pasta with vodka sauce is penne as this holds the sauce well. However, other pasta shapes such as rigatoni can work as well. While the pasta cooks, cut the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Once your pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta.
Optional: Stir Fry The Vegetables
To add some healthiness to your penne vodka with chicken dish, consider stir frying some vegetables. Some vegetables that go with this dish are mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers zucchini, and many more. Add your desired vegetables to a pan and sauté them in oil and garlic until cooked. Once the vegetables are cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, and Enjoy!
Finally, it is time to serve the penne vodka with the chicken (and optional veggies). First, add the pasta to a serving bowl. Then, add the already cut up pieces of chicken. Next, add the stir fried vegetables if you decided to make them. Pour the sauce over all of the ingredients and mix until it is thoroughly combined. Top with more fresh basil and more grated cheese. You can also cut up fresh mozzarella and stir this into your penne vodka with chicken dish. The mozzarella will mix with the hot ingredients and melt slightly, adding more cheesy flavor to your dish. Enjoy! If you want to try a delicious homemade penne vodka with chicken recipe, check out Palermo's Pizza in Parsippany, NJ today!
Comments