Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta

This One Pan Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta with fresh basil and mozzarella will become your family's new go-to meal. This easy recipe is a true one-pan meal that comes together in under 30 minutes. Everything gets cooked in one pan together with the pasta. This chicken vodka pasta is gluten-free and loved by everyone, even toddlers. The easy pasta recipe is super simple and makes enough for a large family or leftovers.

For this creamy chicken vodka pasta, we use chicken that is premade. You can use chicken that you have cooked in advance, a rotisserie chicken that you picked up at the grocery store, or like myself, I used a bag of Springer Mountain Farms grilled chicken strips. This cuts your time in half because there is no time spent meal prepping the chicken. It’s also a great dish to use leftover chicken with. If you don’t have leftover chicken and want to know how to make a quick chicken recipe for this pasta dish, check out the two listed below. Or, if you want to make this dish with ground chicken meatballs, try it out with my Italian meatballs. 

• Garlic Parmesan pasta 
• Grilled air fryer chicken breast 
• Italian freezer meatballs 

This Pasta dish also serves great with this grinder salad. The flavor profile of this cheesy chicken pasta is so good, it makes an amazing date night dinner for two with a bottle of wine, or your next Valentine’s Day dinner. However, it’s also simple enough that it serves well as a weeknight meal or meal prep and his family approved.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta recipe
• Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta
• Instructions for Cheesy Chicken Pasta
• Equipment
• Cooking Variations for this Easy Pasta Dish
• FAQ for the Chicken Vodka Pasta
• Storage and Reheat
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you will love this Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta recipe

• It’s quick and easy, and only uses one pan.
• There is no need to cook the chicken right before making this dish. It comes together quickly with premade chicken. 
• This vodka sauce pasta recipe can easily be made without the chicken for more of a vegetarian-style meal.
• This recipe is nutrient-dense with hidden tomatoes. 
• If you love creamy chicken pasta, check out this Garlic Parmesan chicken pasta. Another one of my favorites, with over 60 million views on Instagram. 

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Vodka Pasta

Below is just a list of some of the ingredients, for a full list of ingredients that go into this creamy chicken vodka pasta, please see the recipe card below. 

• Pasta: Any one of your favorite pastas will work for this recipe. I prefer to use Gluten Free Rigatoni from Rummo. 
• Tomatoes: In this recipe, I use Azuca cherry tomatoes by Pure Flavor. Although any cherry tomato will work just fine in this recipe.
• Vodka Sauce: My choice of vodka sauce is from Botticelli, which is always gluten-free. 
• Cheese: To keep this chicken vodka pasta extra creamy, I like to use shredded mozzarella cheese. 
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will help thicken the vodka sauce once the pasta is done cooking. If you are looking for a lower-fat alternative, you may use half-and-half.
• Dried Shallots: They offer the same bold flavor as a fresh shallot and tend to taste like a cross between sweet onions and garlic. I get mine from OliveNation. 
• Oregano
• Salt
• Roasted garlic powder 

Instructions for Cheesy Chicken Pasta

• In a large cast iron skillet with a lid, (I used a porcelain cast iron pan) heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
• Once the olive oil is warm, add in the tomatoes, dry shallots, and minced onion. Allow this to cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the tomatoes have been broken down, and are soft. Give it a stir every two minutes while cooking. 
• Next, add in the vodka sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, and roasted garlic powder. Stir well, then add pasta. Change the temperature to medium-high, and allow the mixture to begin to boil.
• Once it begins to boil, cover with the lid. Stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking up the pan, cook until the pasta reaches an al dente texture, about 9-12 minutes depending on the pasta used. 
• Next, lower the heat to medium, remove the lid, and star in the heavy cream, cooked chicken, and mozzarella cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese has melted all the way. Lower the heat to low, and allow this to cook for an additional three minutes.
• Garnish with fresh basil. 
• Top with any extra fresh mozzarella or parmesan cheese. 

Equipment

• Cast iron skillet

Cooking Variations for this Easy Pasta Dish

• This creamy chicken pasta with vodka sauce serves great with zucchini and squash. 
• Instead of mozzarella, add feta cheese. 
• Add a handful of kale for more vegetables. 
• Use make-ahead meatballs like these instead of the chicken.

FAQ for the Chicken Vodka Pasta

Can I use regular gluten pasta for this recipe?

Absolutely, if gluten is not an issue within your family, any pasta will work for this recipe. Just be sure to check that the pasta is al dente before adding the heavy cream. Every brand of pasta takes a slightly different amount of time.

Can I make this rigatoni pasta recipe dairy-free? 

Absolutely, you can make this recipe dairy-free. Simply swap out the mozzarella cheese for a dairy-free mozzarella, and in place of the heavy cream, use a dairy-free heavy cream like Plant Cream by Country Crock. You will have a great Vegan Vodka Pasta.

Can I freeze this chicken vodka pasta?

Yes, you can freeze this pasta in a freezer, safe bag or freezer-friendly container for up to two months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Storage and Reheat

• To store this chicken and vodka pasta, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
• To reheat the pasta, you may warm it up on the stove in a pot with a lid, on medium stirring occasionally until all the way heated through. You may want to add a small amount of heavy cream to loosen it back up.
• Alternatively, you may place some of the pasta on a plate with a moist paper towel over the top, and heat it in the microwave for two minutes until heated all the way through.

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📖 Recipe