There’s something extremely invigorating about being a girl (Woman? Lady? Gal? I’ll spare you all my existential quarter-life crisis) and completely embracing PINK. The bar is one such place where so-called “cool” decision making is put under a microscope. Are you ordering the super local, single-batch, no name manly man IPA or the pink, coconut flavored maitai with an umbrella in it?
There comes a point in your life where you’ve been around the block enough times that you know what you do and don’t like and just don’t care about what people think of your drink order anymore. I don’t claim to be completely enlightened when it comes to not caring what people think. I am human after all.
But I do know that a perfectly chilled, pink, rosy, blush-colored glass of rosé is definitely something that I like and definitely something I’m not ashamed of ordering.
And there’s really no reason that rosé shouldn’t be afforded the same respect as a full-bodied cabernet or an excellent dry pinot grigio. Which brings us to the extremely narrow and unexplored world of cooking with rosé.
It seems completely insane that more people aren’t cooking with this delightful summer drink, given that it’s kind of the de facto choice for many a ladies’ night and, yes, bro-tastic summer gatherings. Why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the bliss of a perfectly coordinated plate of food with your glass of rosé?
And so this Penne alla Rosé was born. A deliciously, ever-so-slightly boozy take on Penne alla Vodka, but much lighter and more delicate with the addition of rosé that is, of course, just as good in the light creamy tomato sauce as it is straight out of the bottle.
Add a little seared chicken breast, and you’ve got Penne alla Rosé. It’s decadent, it’s delicious, but, mostly you’ll feel like you’ve unlocked the best kept secret at the intersection of pasta and boozy tomato sauces.
Whether you’re making a well-earned meal after a long Working Girl week in the sweltering city, or you’re a bro looking for a more refined summer dinner companion to your regular “brosé” indulgence, we think you’ll like this Penne alla Rosé!
Recipe Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
Add the chicken breasts to the pan, allowing them to sear on one side for 6-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the other side for another 6-7 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the pan and set aside on a cutting board to rest.
Now, add the penne pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions just until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, to the pan drippings, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Deglaze the pan with the rose and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and allow the wine to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. When the tomatoes have stopped bubbling, stir in the heavy cream.
Slice the chicken, and toss it into the skillet along with the cooked penne.
Stir everything together, and serve with chopped herbs on top.
Penne alla Rosé
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (450g)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound penne pasta (450g)
- 8 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup rosé
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (canned)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- Chopped parsley or basil (to garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts to the pan, allowing them to sear on one side for 6-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the other side for another 6-7 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the pan and set aside on a cutting board to rest.
- Now, add the penne pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions just until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, to the pan drippings, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the rose and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and allow the wine to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. When the tomatoes have stopped bubbling, stir in the heavy cream.
- Slice the chicken, and toss it into the skillet along with the cooked penne. Stir everything together, and serve with chopped herbs on top.
