Pasta Alla Vodka

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta, like rigatoni or trofie
• 0.75 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 0.25c grated parmesan cheese
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 spicy pepper, like serrano or jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 0.25c tomato paste
• 0.33c vodka
• 0.33c heavy cream
• 3T unsalted butter, divided
• 3T olive oil, divided
• 1T high-smoke-point oil, like avocado or grapeseed
• 1T red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1T Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Roughly chop the red and green bell peppers, carrot, shallots, spicy pepper, and garlic. Toss all of these vegetables on a baking sheet with 1T olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and slightly charred.
2. 2While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
3. 3In a food processor, combine the roasted vegetables, 1T olive oil, and 2T of the butter. Process until the mixture is a very smooth, vibrant paste. Set aside.
4. 4Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper.
5. 5In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the high-smoke-point oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on all sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
6. 6Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil to the same pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
7. 7Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until it deepens in color. This "blooms" the tomato paste and builds flavor.
8. 8Pour in the vodka and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Stir and let the vodka cook off for about 1 minute.
9. 9Stir in the blended vegetable mixture and the heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
10. 10Pour in about 0.5c of the reserved pasta water and the parmesan cheese. Stir until the sauce is creamy and emulsified.
11. 11Add the cooked pasta and the chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
12. 12Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan and red pepper flakes if you'd like.