Penne alla Vodka with Chicken

Healthy henne alla vodka with chicken in a creamy blush-orange sauce made without heavy cream, topped with sliced chicken and fresh basil.

This easy penne alla vodka with chicken skips the heavy cream and uses Greek yogurt instead, so the sauce stays creamy without the heaviness. Each serving has 30 grams of protein and the whole thing comes together in about 35 minutes.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Serving servings

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast, sliced in half to create thinner cutlets and lightly flattened (pounded) for even thickness
¼ - ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, of each
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon tomato paste
⅓ cup vodka, unflavored (it cooks off, adds a sharp and tangy flavor)
28 oz can whole peeled or crushed tomatoes
4 - 5 leaves of fresh basil, to finish the sauce
Salt, to taste
½ cup Greek yogurt, plain 0%, 2% or 5%
½ cup milk, whole milk or 2% is best but you can use skim milk
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan, + more for serving
8 oz dried penne pasta, whole wheat, gluten-free, chickpea, or regular (spaghetti, fettuccine, fusilli, farfalle bowtie, rotini, or penne)

Instructions

Heat the pan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. You can use the same pan for the chicken and the sauce, or two separate pans.
Season and cook the chicken. In a small dish, combine the salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate or cutting board to rest.
Cook the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan (don't wipe it clean, the chicken juices add flavor) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Toast the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it turns deep red and jammy, about 1 to 2 minutes. This step is what gives the sauce its rich, restaurant-quality flavor.
Deglaze with vodka. Add 2 tablespoons of the vodka to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the remaining vodka and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until most of it evaporates and the alcohol cooks off.
Simmer the sauce. Add the crushed tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the vodka smell fades.
Cook the pasta. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente, then drain and rinse briefly under cool water so it doesn't stick.
Warm the yogurt and milk. In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt and milk together until smooth. Microwave for 5 to 10 seconds until just warm, not hot. This prevents curdling when you add it to the sauce.
Stir in the parmesan. Turn off the heat under the sauce and stir in the grated parmesan until it melts in.
Blend the sauce. Transfer 2 to 3 cups of the sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the pot). Add the warm yogurt mixture and blend for 15 to 25 seconds, until the sauce is smooth and turns blush-orange. For a thinner, smoother sauce, blend the entire batch. For some texture, blend only part.
Combine and serve. Pour the blended sauce back into the pan and stir to combine. Toss with the cooked pasta and top each plate with sliced chicken, fresh basil, and extra parmesan.

Notes

Use whole milk Greek yogurt for the creamiest sauce. 2% works well, fat-free works in a pinch but the sauce won't be as silky. Skip flavored or sweetened yogurts.

Don't skip warming the yogurt and milk. Cold dairy hitting a hot, acidic sauce is the #1 reason yogurt-based sauces curdle. Ten seconds in the microwave is all it takes.

Pull the sauce off the heat before adding the yogurt mixture. This is the second half of the anti-curdling fix. The sauce should be warm, not actively simmering, when the yogurt goes in.

Toasting the tomato paste matters. Cook it until it turns from bright red to deep brick-red, about 1 to 2 minutes. This is what separates restaurant-quality vodka sauce from flat homemade versions.

Use freshly grated parmesan, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly into the sauce.

Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. Add a splash at a time if the finished sauce gets too thick.

For higher protein, swap in chickpea or lentil penne. This pushes each serving over 40 grams of protein without changing anything else.

Leftovers reheat best on the stovetop. Warm gently over low heat with a splash of milk or pasta water to bring the sauce back to its original texture.

Nutrition

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian, Italian-American

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