Chicken Penne alla Vodka

Chicken Penne alla Vodka is a high-protein pasta recipe ready in 3 h 35 min. It makes 4 servings, each 650 kcal with 41 g protein. Intermediate level, 20 ingredients, and it keeps for work lunches.

Recipe by @bitesofberi, adapted and measured by Cookpath.

  • 3 h 35 min20 min hands-on
  • Intermediatelevel
  • 650kcal a serving
  • 41 gprotein
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Chicken Penne alla Vodka

What is Chicken Penne alla Vodka

Penne in a creamy tomato vodka sauce made with passata and cashew cream, tossed with spiced baked chicken breast.

More:Meal prep recipesHigh-protein chicken recipesChicken recipes

How to make Chicken Penne alla Vodka

Tips from the cook

  • Do not overcook the chicken: it keeps cooking after the oven, and again in the sauce.
  • Cook the pasta al dente; it finishes in the sauce.
  • Save more pasta water than you think and add it as needed to thin the sauce.
  • The vodka can be left out; the sauce tastes different but is still good.
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Goes well with

Sides from Cookpath that balance this dish, the same picks the app suggests.

Shopska Salad15 min · 420 kcalGarlic Confit Bruschetta1 h 45 min · 190 kcal

Meal prep and storage

Good as a work lunch

Still good after 2 to 3 days in the fridge, cold or microwaved.

Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge; reheat in a pan or the microwave with a little water.

Prep a few days

See this week’s meal prep plan on the blog, or plan your own week in the app.

Chicken Penne alla Vodka substitutions

Out of something, or cooking around an allergy. Each swap was checked against a source.

Cayenne pepper2 options
  • Hot smoked paprika or chilli powder use 2x the amount

    Less heat.

  • Leave out (optional heat at 1/4 tsp) leave out (optional heat only)
Penne1 option
  • Gluten-free pasta (corn/rice or corn-rice blend) 1:1 by weight; cook per packet, slightly al dente

    Soups (goes soft fast) and long simmers.

Red onion2 options
  • Spring onion (white part), thin use 2 spring onions per 1/4 red onion

    Milder; still allium.

  • Leave out leave out (optional salad garnish only)
Vodka2 options
  • Lemon juice diluted with water a teaspoon or two of lemon juice with an equal amount of water for a quart of sauce; add halfway through cooking

    Strong lemon flavour; can curdle cream if added at the end.

  • White wine to taste

    Contains alcohol.

Cashews2 options
  • Sunflower seeds 1:1 by weight

    Stir-fry crunch differs; check cross-contact.

  • Roasted peanuts 1:1

    Peanut allergy.

    Still contains peanuts.

Chilli flakes2 options
  • Leave out (optional heat, 1/4 tsp) leave out (optional heat only)
  • Sweet paprika for colour same amount

    No heat.

Parmesan2 options
  • Vegetarian hard Italian-style cheese (made with microbial rennet) 1:1 by weight

    Grana Padano contains egg lysozyme.

    Still contains dairy.

  • Nutritional yeast (fortified flakes) 1:1 by volume, add a pinch of salt

    No melt; less sharp.

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