If you love bruschetta and vodka sauce, you NEED to make this Bruschetta Rigatoni alla Vodka recipe. It’s a comforting, restaurant-quality dinner recipe that feels both fancy and unfussy. Creamy tomato vodka sauce swirls together with fresh tomatoes, ground chicken, garbanzo beans, spinach, and tender rigatoni to make a budget-friendly meal that comes together in one pan. I made mine using ingredients straight from my Hungryroot box (the tomato-basil-garlic ground chicken is unreal), and it’s perfect for busy weeknights or stocking the fridge for easy lunches all week long.
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Easy Recipe for Bruschetta Rigatoni alla Vodka
I love a good pasta and vodka sauce recipe, so as soon as I saw this one from Hungryroot, I knew I had to give it a go (and give it a Budget Bytes twist, of course). To keep things easy, I turned it into a one-pot meal by cooking the pasta right in the sauce with a bit of added water. I also leaned on shelf-stable, pantry-friendly ingredients like garbanzo beans from my Hungryroot box, which helped stretch this dish further while keeping costs down.
But what I like most about my Hungryroot subscription is how it actually makes it super easy to cook wholesome meals without the stress. They send full-sized groceries (plus snacks and breakfast options), and the more I add to my order, the more I save (how many grocery stores can say the same?!) It all started with a quick quiz, and then Hungryroot suggested personalized recommendations based on me and my family. Over time, it’s learned more about what I like and what I actually use, so I waste less, save more, and have way fewer “what’s for dinner?” moments. Yay!
PS: If you want to give Hungryroot a try, we have a great discount for you! Click this link to get 40% off your first box PLUS a free gift. Thanks Hungryroot!
Bruschetta Rigatoni alla Vodka
Servings 8 servings (2 cups per serving)Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 16 oz ground tomato, basil, and garlic chicken
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
- 1 onion, small dice
- 2 ½ cups vodka sauce
- 16 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 1.5-2 cups water
- 10 oz fresh spinach
- 13.4 oz organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, break it into small pieces, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until cooked. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the diced tomatoes and onion and cook for 5 minutes, gently scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the vodka sauce, uncooked pasta, and 1.5 cups of water to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Add the chicken, spinach, garbanzo beans, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes while covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done. If the pasta is not fully cooked, add the last ½ cup of water and continue cooking until the pasta is done.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Medium Sauté Pan
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Bruschetta Rigatoni alla Vodka step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Cook the ground chicken: Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, and once heated, add 16 oz ground tomato, basil, and garlic chicken to the pan. Break it into small pieces and sauté in the hot oil for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
Sauté the veggies: Add 2 diced beefsteak tomatoes and 1 diced onion to the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Cook for 5 minutes while gently scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any stuck-on-ground chicken (which will add even more flavor!).
Add the pasta and sauce: Once you’ve sauteed the tomatoes and onion for 1 minute, add 2.5 cups vodka sauce, 16 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta, and 1.5 cups of water. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let the pasta and sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
Add the remaining ingredients: Now, return the cooked ground chicken to the skillet along with 10 oz fresh spinach, 13.4 oz organic garbanzo beans, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Cook while covered for a further 8-10 minutes until the pasta is done. Be sure to stir the pasta occasionally. If you find that your pasta isn’t fully cooked at this point, add the last ½ cup of water and keep cooking until the pasta is finished.
Serve: Plate up your homemade bruschetta rigatoni alla vodka, and enjoy!
I’m 100% ordering these ingredients again in my next Hungryroot box…this pasta is too good NOT to! 😉
Recipe Tips for Success
- Add more water if needed. One-pot pastas are one of my favorite midweek meals for something that’s both delicious and easy to clean up. One tip I’ve learned from making one-pot recipes like this is to know when your pasta needs a little extra love! If it’s still a bit firm after simmering at first, just add ½ cup more water and keep it going until it’s tender.
- Break up the ground chicken as it cooks. I use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the chicken into small pieces while it’s browning. Doing this helps it cook evenly and gives you a nice, crumbly texture.
- Keep the chicken warm. After cooking the chicken and removing it from the pan, you can cover it loosely with foil so it stays warm while you prep everything else.
- Stir the pasta occasionally. Be sure to simmer the pasta with a lid ON to keep the moisture and heat in the pan. I also like to stir it every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. This is especially important in a hearty dish like this bruschetta vodka pasta, where the sauce thickens as it cooks.
Serving Suggestions
If you ordered some shredded sharp cheddar cheese in your Hungryroot box, sprinkle some over each bowl for an extra tasty finish. I love serving this with a slice of garlic bread for dipping, but you could even add a piece of fresh bruschetta on the side if you’re craving more of that tomato-basil flavor!
Storage & Reheating
Let your rigatoni alla vodka with chicken cool completely before storing. It’ll keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, just pop it in the microwave or warm it gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The pasta will soak up some of the sauce as it sits and may get a bit softer during storage, but it’ll still taste amazing. I usually don’t recommend freezing pasta dishes like this since the noodles can turn mushy when thawed (but you can try if you don’t mind the texture change!)
Hi B. B’s:
The very first thing I look at after the title of the recipe, is the total cost. Then I view the ingredient list, also looking at the cost breakdown. Thinking… do I want to spend the money?
This is the reason why I began following B. B’s. to begin with; i. e., inexpensive recipes with the cost breakdown! Which is very important to me! Why isn’t the total cost and the cost per ingredient included?
Sincerely,
KBG
A recipe that’s really a giant ad, using a product that’s not widely available? Gross.
Hi Mel! We tried very hard to make sure that this recipe could easily be made with comparable ingredients you can get at any grocery store! We even just recently posted a homemade vodka sauce recipe that you can use! Hungryroot makes it very easy to buy all of the ingredients, but that is in no way a requirement and the recipe is easy and delicious regardless. :)
How can I make ground tomato and basil chicken, then?