PinShareTweetEmailMy first experience with Penne alla Vodka with Chicken was cooking a “gourmet” meal for a group of college friends in our dorm’s basement kitchen.Looking back, I’m not sure which impresses me more: our resourcefulness (that kitchen was equipped with little beyond a hot pot and a few forks someone had “donated” from the dining hall) or our audacity—we made vodka sauce on a campus that doesn’t allow vodka.After one bite, we felt validated.

The pasta tasted creamy, glorious, and absolutely worth the risk.While I don’t remember anything else we ate—my hunch is the full menu included the penne alla vodka with chicken, wine (from a box), and cake (also from a box)—penne alla vodka has been one of my favorite comfort food dishes since.Every time I eat it, I’m transported back to that fun, silly night and the joy of good company.If you aren’t familiar with penne alla vodka or are wondering how to make a vodka sauce, it is a luxurious mix of crushed tomatoes and cream that you can cook quickly on your stove top.While normally opposite ends of the sauce spectrum, in penne vodka, tomatoes and cream meld together to create something truly fabulous.The secret of their union is the dish’s namesake.As its name suggests, penne alla vodka is made with vodka, which is cooked down.The vodka prevents the acidity of the tomatoes from causing the cream to break and separate.

This is culinary science at its most magnificent.The high count of classic

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