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Home » Chicken

Penne Alla Vodka With Crispy Chicken

Published: Apr 26, 2021 by Suzanne Nuyen · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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Thank you Victoria Pasta Sauce for sponsoring this post.Victoria Pasta Sauce is committed to “Ingredients Come First®!”

Penne alla vodka is one of my favorite pasta dishes, and pasta is one of my favorite weekday meals. It’s quick, delicious, and can be very nutritious if you make sure to add plenty of protein and veggies. When I enjoy cooking challenges and I feel most at home spending hours in the kitchen, but when I want to spend a moment together with my loved ones over a simple, relaxing meal, I rely on Victoria Pasta Sauces for that slow kettle-cooked, homemade taste in little to no time!

Pin Penne Alla Vodka With Crispy Chicken to try later!

A birds eye view of a plate of penne alla vodka with breaded chicken and a salad

My boyfriend doesn’t have the same passion for vodka sauce as I do and prefers a simple red sauce. But he had rave reviews when I used Victoria’s  Vodka Sauce rather than making my own. The sauce is made with slow cooked,  100 percent Italian tomatoes produced in its original Brooklyn plant, established in 1929. As a vodka sauce, the taste highlights good quality vodka and rich and creamy Romano and Parmesan cheeses! We made this on a night we really wanted to get a new movie up on the TV, and I saved so much time not having to simmer my pasta sauce for hours!

Closeup of a fork holding penne and breaded chicken

To add some protein to our meal, I made my favorite crispy chicken cutlets to go with the pasta. Panko bread crumbs and plenty of seasonings in the dredging flour make these cutlets a regular dinner request in my household.  A simple side salad rounds out the whole meal. 

Jump to:
  • 🍝 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 💭 Tips and substitutions
  • 🍚 Serving suggestions
  • 🥡 How to store or make in advance
  • 👪 Serving size
  • Penne Alla Vodka With Crispy Chicken

🍝 Ingredients

You will need: 

A jar of Victoria Pasta Sauce, an onion, a bulb of garlic, and dry penne pasta on a wooden board

For the pasta

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 oz dry penne pasta
  • 1 medium onion (about 300g), diced (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
  • 2 24 oz. jars Victoria’s Vodka Sauce

For the chicken 

  • 1 ½ lb thinly cut chicken breast (almost 1kg)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup flour (about 64g)
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning 
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs (about 160g)
  • 5 tablespoon vegetable oil

🔪 Instructions

For the Pasta

Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until tender and translucent. Add the the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. 

A hand pours a jar of Victoria Pasta Sauce into a pan.

Add two jars of Victoria's Vodka Sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the drained penne and stir thoroughly. If it is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.

A wooden spoon stirring penne into vodka sauce

For the Chicken

A pile of seasoned flour on a clean plate

Mix the flour with italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside. 

A floured chicken cutlet being dipped in egg

Dip the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture. 

Dip the floured cutlets in the beaten eggs. Make sure they are fully coated in egg with no dry spots. 

A chicken cutlet covered in egg being dredged in panko

Dip the egged chicken cutlet in panko breadcrumbs. Use your hands to pat the breadcrumbs into the cutlet and make sure that there is a nice even layer of coating. 

Two breaded chicken cutlets cooking in a stainless steel pan

In a large saucepan, heat 5 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook the cutlets, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. This wilake about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how thinly they are cut. 

💭 Tips and substitutions

You can use thinly sliced or thinly pounded pork chops in place of the chicken. For a vegetarian option, you can use tofu or seitan. If using tofu, dust it in corn starch instead of flour for extra crispiness.

🍚 Serving suggestions

A plate of penne alla vodka with a piece of breaded chicken breast. A jar of victoria's pasta sauce is in the background.

The onions and garlic are optional in the pasta sauce. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand to add vegetables to your meal. Wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms would taste great. 

I used two jars of pasta sauce to make the pasta extra saucy. Use the extra sauce on the chicken! 

Melt some mozzarella on top of your chicken cutlets for a vodka sauce take on chicken parmesan.

🥡 How to store or make in advance

A fork holding penne alla vodka and a slice of breaded chicken

The pasta will last about a week in your fridge. Simply heat it up in the microwave and enjoy. The chicken cutlets are best eaten right after cooking for maximum crispiness, but can be reheated on the stovetop, toaster oven, conventional oven  or an air fryer. They will crisp up well.

👪 Serving size

Closeup of a fork holding penne and breaded chicken

1 ½ lbs of chicken yielded six chicken cutlets for me. The pasta serves six, so try to divide your chicken up similarly. 

A fork digs into a plate of penne alla vodka
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Penne Alla Vodka With Crispy Chicken

Penne alla vodka is one of my favorite pasta dishes, and pasta is one of my favorite weekday meals. It’s quick, delicious, and can be very nutritious if you make sure to add plenty of protein and veggies.
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Chicken, pasta
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 990kcal

Ingredients

For the Pasta

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 oz dry penne pasta
  • 1 medium onion about 300g, diced (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
  • 2 24 oz. jars Victoria’s Vodka Sauce

For The Chicken

  • 1 ½ lb thinly cut chicken breast almost 1kg
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • ½ cup flour about 64g
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs about 160g
  • 5 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

For The Pasta

  • Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
  • In a large saucepan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until tender and translucent. Add the the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
  • Add two jars of Victoria's Vodka Sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add the drained penne and stir thoroughly. If it is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.

For The Chicken

  • Mix the flour with italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside.
  • Dip the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture.
  • Dip the floured cutlets in the beaten eggs. Make sure they are fully coated in egg with no dry spots.
  • Dip the egged chicken cutlet in panko breadcrumbs. Use your hands to pat the breadcrumbs into the cutlet and make sure that there is a nice even layer of coating.
  • In a large saucepan, heat 5 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook the cutlets, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. This will take about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how thinly they are cut.

Nutrition

Calories: 990kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 2401mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g
Nutrition Facts
Penne Alla Vodka With Crispy Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 990 Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 2401mg104%
Potassium 73mg2%
Carbohydrates 104g35%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 49g98%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Hi! I'm Suzanne, your Bun Bo Bae. I'm a journalist, professional amateur baker, noodle enthusiast and food photographer living in Washington, DC. My immigrant parents taught me everything I know about Vietnamese home cooking, and now I want to share it with you!

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