Hot Dish: Pasta perfect in a pinch, like penne alla vodka

If you’re someone who needs to get dinner on the table regularly, it’s highly advisable to have a back-pocket, pantry-staple pasta you can pull off in a pinch.

My favorite such dish is the iconic Italian stunner penne alla vodka, which comes together in a snap and relies on mostly shelf-stable ingredients — but tastes as though much more time and effort has transpired.

I’ve been making penne alla vodka for about as long as I’ve been seriously cooking, nearly 20 years now. I have tried recipes that use pancetta or bacon, dairy-free versions that rely on blended cashews instead of heavy cream, lighter takes that swap in half-and-half and even one that has you bake the whole shebang in the oven.

I’ve tried out different brands of vodka, too, from top-shelf to the low-end stuff in a cheap plastic jug (with its too-harsh bite), and I’ve also experimented with different pasta shapes, including shells and bowties.

I almost always serve it with chicken, and I’ve tried out different methods for cooking the poultry as well, from grilling to searing to breading to flouring and pan-frying, along with using breasts versus thighs.

At the end of the day, I find it best to stick to what I consider to be classic, with penne pasta, middle-of-the-road vodka, seared chicken breasts and lots of garlic bread to eat on the side.

Through my years of trial and error, I discovered you don’t need to spend a fortune on the vodka, so skip the Grey Goose or Belvedere. But steer clear of Popov or anything else you’d find at a frat party. Instead, I prefer something along the lines of Tito’s or Svedka, which I consider to be mid-range in price.

You may be wondering if you really need alcohol in there at all. And yes, while you can certainly make a lovely pink sauce, sometimes known as a rose sauce, the vodka definitely does bring something to the table.

There’s some science behind it. It is believed the ethanol in vodka acts as a solvent that improves the sauce’s flavors by extracting and concentrating them. Vodka also enhances the aroma of the finished dish — and that scent impacts how we perceive taste.

The vodka can also bring out flavor compounds that are only soluble in alcohol, and it helps with texture, enhancing the creaminess and serving as an emulsifier that keeps the cream from separating.

Be sure to make like a true Italian and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, which will further encourage cohesiveness and also boost the penne’s flavor.

It might sound strange, but I also like to add a little extra vodka at the end, just a tablespoonful. The alcohol flavor from the bulk of the vodka added earlier will have all cooked off (making it totally fine to serve to children), and this just puts a smidgen of that bite back in.

This one is a real-crowd pleaser, so keep these ingredients on hand for the next time you need a low-effort, high-reward dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Serve it up with a big pile of garlic bread, and add a nice green salad if you so desire to make it a more well-rounded meal.

Penne alla vodka with chicken

Makes about four servings

Ingredients:

For chicken:

1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts (2 large cutlets)

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Italian seasoning

For sauce/pasta:

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon vodka, divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound penne pasta (or shape of choice)

Optional: Fresh basil and parmesan, for garnishing

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Stir in crushed tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the 1/3 cup vodka. Bring heat up to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol flavor has cooked off, about 8-10 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. You want it to be about a minute away from finished, as it will continue cooking in the sauce.

With the sauce going and the water coming to a boil, this is a good time to cook the chicken. Season breasts generously with salt and pepper, then season less aggressively with a sprinkle of garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Sear over medium-high in a covered pan for about 5 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through, about 160 degrees in the middle. Remove to a plate and cover with foil, letting it rest.

Once the sauce has simmered and the alcohol taste has cooked off, stir in cream and cook until heated through, about a minute. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

When pasta is ready, drain and add to sauce, bringing to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce and is tender but not overcooked. Add in the extra tablespoon of vodka.

Cut chicken into strips or bite-size pieces. Ladle pasta into bowls and top with the chicken.

Garnish with freshly chopped basil and parmesan, if desired.