Carbone Style Spicy Vodka Pasta with Chicken

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• Very simple preparation
• Easily scalable for a bigger crowd
• Very good leftover!
• Great way to use chicken.
• Super flavorful  and easy to modify to different spice levels.

What is Vodka Sauce?

Penne alla vodka showed up in Italian-American kitchens sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, though no one can agree on who invented it first. What everyone does agree on is that Carbone, the Greenwich Village restaurant that opened in 2013, made it famous all over again. Their version of Rigatoni Vodka became so iconic that people started ordering it at other restaurants and leaving disappointed when it didn't taste the same.

The Carbone formula leans heavily on getting the tomato paste deeply caramelized, using just enough vodka to cut the richness without tasting boozy, and finishing with a specific ratio of cream to butter that creates that signature shine. It's less about fancy ingredients and more about nailing the order of operations.

Why This Version Nails the Carbone Vibe Better Than Most Copycats

Most vodka sauce recipes tell you to dump everything in a pot and simmer until it looks pink. That's not how you get the Carbone texture or flavor.

• Tomato paste gets toasted until it's brick red. This step caramelizes the sugars and concentrates the umami, which is what gives the sauce that deep, almost meaty backbone instead of tasting like jarred marinara with cream stirred in.
• Vodka reduces completely before cream goes in. If you add cream too early, the alcohol never fully cooks off and you're left with a sharp, unpleasant edge. Letting the vodka evaporate leaves only its magic behind, which is helping emulsify the fat and acid.
• Butter finishes the sauce, not extra cream. More cream makes it heavy and dull. A few tablespoons of cold butter whisked in at the end creates that glossy, silky coating that clings to pasta like it has something to prove.
• Chicken gets seared hard and pulled early. Overcooked chicken in vodka sauce is a tragedy. Searing it fast, pulling it out, and letting it finish gently in the sauce keeps it juicy and lets the fond contribute to the overall flavor.

The ratio matters too. Too much cream and the sauce tastes like Alfredo with a tomato problem. Not enough and it's just spicy marinara pretending to be fancy. This version hits the sweet spot where every bite tastes rich but you still want to keep eating.

You also can't skip the red pepper flakes or skimp on them. The heat is part of the structure of this dish, not a garnish. It cuts through the cream and tomato in a way that makes the whole thing feel balanced instead of cloying.

How to Make Vodka Sauce Pasta with Chicken

This simple homemade chicken penne alla vodka recipe starts with cooking the chicken. Once done, make the sauce while the pasta cooks. Then combine the tender chicken with the pasta and sauce and serve with some torn basil and parmesan cheese. This easy recipe is simple and delicious and is one of our favorite pasta dinners!

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this easy penne alla vodka:

• Chicken: We use chicken tenderloins in this recipe, but chicken breasts, chicken thighs or chicken cutlets work as well if desired (adjust cook time depending on type of chicken used).
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
• Smoked Paprika: A small amount to season the chicken gives it a nice but not smoky flavor.
• Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne is used to spice the chicken as well so it has a bit of heat before it is added to the pasta.
• Unsalted Butter: The chicken is sautéed in the butter.
• Olive Oil: We use the olive oil to cook the onion as the base of the sauce.
• Onion: The onion is part of the foundation of the sauce. We use sweet yellow onions here.
• Prosciutto: Just a couple of slices of finely chopped prosciutto lends a nice flavor to the sauce.
• Garlic: A little freshly minced garlic enhances the flavor of the sauce perfectly.
• Tomato Paste: This deepens the richness and flavor of the vodka sauce.
• Vodka: This is why it's called vodka sauce! Any vodka around 80 proof works here.
• Tomato Purée or Passata: A little passata is all this sauce needs for depth of flavor. We use THIS brand.
• Heavy Cream: Cream lightens the sauce color and adds to the creamy rich texture and flavor.
• Mascarpone Cheese: Just a little of this beautiful ingredient helps give a rounder flavor to the sauce.
• Red Pepper Flakes: One way this dish is spiced up.
• Calabrian Chili Paste: This brings the Italian heat to the sauce and a bit of acidity.
• Rigatoni or Penne: Rigatoni is the traditional dry pasta shape used with vodka sauce at Carbone. Penne works great here as well.
• Fresh Basil: To garnish the final dish.
• Parmesan Cheese: To garnish (use the real deal parmigiano reggiano freshly grated for best results).

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Chicken: You can omit the chicken or use a different protein such as shrimp if desired.
• Prosciutto: You can use pancetta, bacon, or omit this completely for a vegetarian option.
• Mascarpone:  Cream cheese can replace the mascarpone, although the flavor will be slightly different since cream cheese has a bit more of an acidic flavor profile.
• Penne: Although traditional, you can use just about any shape of pasta you desire.
• Parmesan Cheese:  Pecorino or Grana Padano are good substitutes for Parmesan.

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Large skillet to cook the chicken and make the sauce
• Large pot to cook the pasta

Season and Cook the Chicken

• Season the chicken tenders with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Heat the butter over medium heat and cook the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp for cooked chicken is 165°F). Remove the chicken from the pan, let it cool, then cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside. Wipe the pan down with a paper towel and start the sauce.

Start the Pasta

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (approximately 2 tablespoon of salt for every 6-8 quarts of water). Add your dry pasta to the pot to cook according to the package directions and make your sauce while the pasta cooks. 

Cook the Vodka Cream Sauce

• Over medium heat, add the olive oil to the pan used to cook the chicken. Add the onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned. Add the prosciutto and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste for another 30 seconds until it begins to caramelize. Carefully add the vodka and cook down until it is almost gone and the alcohol cooks out - about 45 seconds. 
• Next add the tomato purée (passata), stir well, and turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes, then turn the heat back down to medium. Stir in the cream, mascarpone cheese, red pepper flakes, and Calabrian chili paste. Cook for another 4 minutes. Then, add the chicken to the sauce.    

Finish the Dish

• Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, transfer it to the sauce and stir to incorporate. Reserve about a cup of pasta water to add the sauce if the sauce seems too thick. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste if needed. Transfer to individual dishes or a large serving dish. Garnish with basil and parmesan cheese.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Add some blanched vegetables, such as zucchini or eggplant for even more flavors.
• If you want it less spicy, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili pepper paste from the sauce and omit the cayenne on the chicken.

Storage

How to store leftover penne alla vodka:

• Store leftover penne alla vodka in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to reheat leftover penne alla vodka:

• Reheat penne alla vodka in a skillet over low heat until heated through, then serve.

Can you freeze leftover penne alla vodka?

You can freeze it but the texture of the cooked pasta and flavor will not be as good as making it fresh. You can however freeze the vodka sauce alone. Simply store it in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge then reheat gently over low heat on your stovetop.

Troubleshooting

Make sure you take the time to cook down the tomato passata. If you don't, the flavors will not come together as well and the sauce will be a bit flat.

Vodka Sauce too thin? If you find that your sauce isn't as thick as you would like, simply continue to reduce it in the pan over medium heat until it is the consistency you desire. If it gets too thick, you can always thin it out with some of the pasta water.

What to serve with Penne alla Vodka

This is perfect all by itself, but a piece of crusty bread, or garlic bread, is always nice to get all of the nice sauce. You can also serve this with a nice veggie side dish such as asparagus, broccolini, or green beans.

What Wines To Drink with Penne alla Vodka

Barbera, Chianti Classico, and Montepulciano are our favorites with this dish. You can also go for a nice Italian or French Rosé, which is fantastic with spicy foods.