Penne Alla Vodka

My Penne Alla Vodka is incredibly flavorful, creamy, and smooth. This is an easy, mostly hands-off recipe that will feed your family in just 1 hour! Recipe includes a how-to video.

Insanely Flavorful Penne Alla Vodka

If you’re looking for an indulgent dinner option that’s guaranteed to impress, you’re going to LOVE today’s penne alla vodka recipe.

I don’t say that lightly. Today’s recipe is truly spectacular and satisfying. It has an incredible depth of flavor (despite the fact that it’s meatless, it rivals my beef ragu in flavor) that is perfectly balanced and restaurant-quality. It reminds me a bit of my tomato soup in that the sauce is not overly-acidic from the tomatoes, but creamy and rich instead.

And that sauce… truly other-worldly. I’m not stingy with it, either. There’s plenty to luxuriously and generously coat every penne noodle, while still leaving plenty to go around and to be sopped up with garlic knots.

My pasta alla vodka recipe doesn’t require much hands-on time but I do strongly recommend allowing it 30 minutes of simmering for best flavor.

And that vodka?

It isn’t just for show; it helps give the sauce a creamy, velvety mouthfeel and adds to the depth of flavor. It’s a key component of this recipe.

Why you’ll love it:

• Takes just 1 hour to make from start-to-finish.
• Uses whole tomatoes (that you’ll crush yourself) for the best flavor.
• Pairs well with seared chicken or shrimp, plus homemade breadsticks for dipping.
• Can be made as mild or spicy as you like!

What You Need

Here are the key ingredients that make this pasta alla vodka so insanely irresistible:

• Tomatoes. I prefer to use whole tomatoes and feel they make a better sauce, but you could substitute crushed tomatoes in a pinch.
• Vodka. Use a plain, unflavored vodka. Pretty much any brand will work here, it doesn’t need to be the most expensive brand. I do not have a recommended substitute if you do not wish to use vodka, it would completely change the dish.
• Heavy cream. We’ll be using a fair bit of cream to temper the tomatoes. This dish is definitely indulgent comfort food! 
• Red pepper flakes. Red pepper adds a nice subtle heat. If you like penne alla vodka to be spicy, double the amount I have listed. Or, if you don’t want any heat, just leave it out!
• Pasta. Penne is usually the norm, but you really can use any type of noodle to make it pasta alla vodka. Rigatoni would work just as well, as would any thicker noodle that will allow the sauce to cling to it.

SAM’S TIP: Save your pasta water! It also adds flavor and helps the sauce cling perfectly to the noodles. This a simple trick I use in many of my pasta recipes (like beef ragu). Pasta water is liquid gold!

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Pasta Alla Vodka

1. Create a flavorful base – Cook onion in melted butter and oil over medium heat until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the vodka – Add the vodka, scraping the bottom of the pan as you do. Cook until the vodka is reduced by half.
3. Add the seasonings – Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings until smooth and incorporated.
4. Break up the tomatoes – Add the tomatoes and use your spoon to break them down into smaller pieces.

5. Add the cream – Slowly stir in the cream until incorporated.
6. Blend and simmer – Blend the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or blender. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes.
7. Make your pasta – Prepare your pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining (do NOT rinse!).
8. Combine and enjoy – Add the pasta to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Stir in the parmesan or basil and keep simmering until the sauce and pasta are incorporated, then serve.

SAM’S TIP: You won’t need the full cup of pasta water, but you can save the rest for warming up leftovers the next day. Since the pasta absorbs much of the liquid, leftovers can seem dry, I’ll usually reheat then with a splash of pasta water to make them creamy and saucy again.

Frequently Asked Questions

I hope you enjoyed today’s savory recipe. We’ll be back to sweets on Thursday 😊

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

Penne alla vodka

My penne alla vodka is incredibly flavorful, creamy, and smooth. This is an easy, mostly hands-off recipe that will feed your family in just 1 hour!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 cup (140 g) finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 ml) vodka
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ¾ teaspoons table salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes increase to ½ teaspoon for a spicier pasta
• ▢ 28 oz (794 g) can whole peeled tomatoes may substitute crushed tomatoes (do not drain)
• ▢ 1 cup (265 ml) + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ ¼ cup (20 g) grated parmesan plus additional for serving (freshly grated preferred)
• ▢ 16 oz (453 g) penne pasta
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil

Recommended Equipment

• ▢
  Dutch Oven
• ▢
  Immersion blender

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat until butter is melted and pan is hot.
  2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened (about 3-5 minutes).
  1 cup (140 g) finely chopped yellow onion
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• Add vodka and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot, until vodka is reduced by about half and you no longer get slapped in the face by the smell of alcohol if you whiff the steam.
  ⅓ cup (80 ml) vodka
• Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until mixture is smooth and tomato paste is well incorporated.
  2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¾ teaspoons table salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Add whole tomatoes, breaking them up with your spatula or spoon.
  28 oz (794 g) can whole peeled tomatoes
• Drizzle in cream and stir until well-combined. Use your immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth (if you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer sauce to a blender and puree there, then return to the pot).
  1 cup (265 ml) + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prepare pasta while mixture simmers.
  16 oz (453 g) penne pasta
• Cook penne pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions. When finished cooking, reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
• Add cooked, drained pasta to pot with a splash of reserved pasta water and add grated parmesan and sliced basil. Stir well and continue to simmer over low heat. If mixture becomes too thick, add additional reserved pasta water as needed (you won’t need the full cup, but I like to have spare water for leftovers the next day).
  ¼ cup (20 g) grated parmesan, 2 Tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil
• Serve, topped with additional grated parmesan and fresh basil if desired.

Notes

Vodka

Use a plain/unflavored vodka. I use Smirnoff brand, but any will work (it does not need to be expensive!).

Storing

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This sauce may also be frozen in an airtight container for up to several months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1039IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

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