Vodka Sauce Chicken Parmesan

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Vodka Sauce Chicken Parmesan is from Jessica Merchant’s How Sweet Eats blog. I made it last night, and it is fabulous. The vodka sauce is out of this world. It is so much better than any sauce that comes in a jar.

Vodka Sauce Chicken Parmesan 

Yield: 4  Prep Time: 45 min. Cook Time: 15 min. 

Ingredients:

Vodka Sauce 

  • 1 cup reserved pasta water (More on that below.)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons vodka (I bought Tito’s brand, recommended by Jessica.)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (I used half & half.)
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Chicken Parmesan 
  • 4 chicken cutlets (My package had 6 cutlets and I was able to make all of them.)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, for the pan 
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 
  • Fresh basil and oregano for serving
Instructions:

Vodka Sauce 
  1. Make the vodka sauce. To make a starchy pasta water without cooking pasta, combine 1 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat.
  2. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots soften. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. The color will darken, which shows the flavors are developing.
  3. Pour in the vodka and stir, scraping the brown bits of flavor from the bottom. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved (or premade) pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper, if needed. (This will make more sauce than needed. Store in the refrigerator for a few days or use it as a pizza or pasta sauce.)
Chicken Parmesan 
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Have a baking dish (9x13 works) nearby.
  2. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat.
  3. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Have the melted butter ready to go in one bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on a plate and stir to combine.
  4. Use a pastry brush to brush the chicken with butter on both sides. Dip the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so the breadcrumbs adhere. Place the chicken in the skillet.
  5. Cook until the chicken is golden and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Transfer the chicken to the baking dish and repeat with the other cutlets.
  6. Top each piece of chicken with a few spoonfuls of vodka sauce. Top each piece of chicken with sliced mozzarella cheese.
  7. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with herbs and more Parmesan. 
  8. Serve immediately.
This is a delicious meal! The sauce is so flavorful! I also learned that I can make my own pasta water! Jessica is a genius! Be sure to have everything organized before you start to cook the chicken (melted butter, skillet going with olive oil, pastry brush, plate with breadcrumbs and cheese mixture, 9x13 pan). It will make the process flow easily.

This is a recipe I will make again. I have sauce leftover, too, for pasta. That is always a plus. And, I have leftover vodka. My sister found a recipe for a delicious harvest punch, and I found a recipe that breaks it down into drink-sized portions. Look for that soon on the blog! In the meantime, I hope you will try Vodka Sauce Chicken Parmesan! Enjoy!


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