Penne alla Vodka with Chicken
This healthier penne alla vodka with chicken is made with no heavy cream! Pureed roasted vegetables are my secret for a creamy vodka sauce that tastes just as good as the original. High protein, with 42 grams of protein per serving.
How to Make Penne alla Vodka with Chicken
This healthier vodka sauce recipe is creamy without using any heavy cream. Here’s how to make it:
1. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
2. Toss the zucchini, onion, and garlic with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a sheet pan until tender and browned.
3. Blend the roasted veggies with crushed tomatoes, broth, and parmesan until smooth.
4. Boil salted water for the pasta.
5. Cook the chicken on high heat on a grill pan until cooked through.
6. Sauté the minced shallot and salt in a Dutch oven or deep, large skillet. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two.
7. If you have a gas stove, turn it off or remove your pot from the heat. Pour in the vodka, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and return the pot to the heat. Cook until most of the liquid reduces.
8. Then add the pureed vegetables, basil, and black pepper, and simmer for five minutes.
9. Cook the penne until al dente according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the pot.
10. Remove the basil sprig from the sauce and pour in the reserved water a little at a time if needed. Toss the vodka sauce with the penne and transfer to six bowls. Top each one with chicken and parmesan.
Variations
Chicken: If you can’t find chicken cutlets, buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them vertically with scissors to make thin pieces.
Meat: Swap chicken with Italian chicken or turkey sausage.
Vegetarian Penne alla Vodka: Omit the grilled chicken.
Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, replace it with whatever dried herbs you have, like basil, oregano, and parsley.
Vegetables: Add spinach to the vodka sauce.
Zucchini: Substitute zucchini with yellow squash.
Spiciness: Omit red pepper flakes for a milder dish, or add more for an extra kick.
Pasta: Sub penne with any short pasta shape, like rotini, fusilli, or orecchiette. You can also use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta if you prefer.
