Penne Alla Vodka

This Penne Alla Vodka is a classic Italian-American dish made with pasta and creamy tomato vodka sauce. This recipe makes a quick and easy 30-minute meal the entire family will love!

Make this for dinner and serve it with Vegetable salad and cheesy garlic bread.

If you’ve been following for a while then you know how much I love pasta. I have many variations of this recipe like Penne alla Vodka with Shrimp and Vodka Stuffed Shells. Another similar pasta recipe I love is this Spicy Rigatoni.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The vodka sauce is thick, creamy, and coats the pasta perfectly!
• The dish is super easy to make.
• The vodka adds flavor but it cooks long enough that the alcohol boils off. There is no need to worry-you won’t get intoxicated while consuming this dish.
• You can add shrimp, chicken, bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto.

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta – I used penne pasta but feel free to use any short-shaped pasta noodles such as rigatoni, rotini, ziti, or farfalle.
• Heavy Cream – This is a must! It’s the ingredient that will make the sauce thick and creamy.
• Tomatoes – For best results, use San Marzano peeled whole tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes have less acidity and are sweeter than other canned tomatoes. I like to crush them with my hands before adding them to the skillet.
• Vodka – Any brand of vodka will work! Avoid fruit-flavored varieties.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions. While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce.
2. Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning, and cook until fragrant. Add the vodka and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and crush them with your hands. Add the crushed tomatoes to the skillet along with the heavy cream and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Add the sauce back to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Stir in the butter and parmesan cheese. Check for seasoning and then add the cooked pasta.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe For Pasta Alla Vodka Substitutions

There are many ways to customize this recipe. Here are a few suggestions:

• Vodka: Although vodka is in the name of the recipe, you can use white wine, chicken stock, vegetable stock, or pasta water as a substitution.
• Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use 1/4 tsp oregano instead.
• Butter/Oil: If you don’t have both butter and oil on hand, you can use only one. Avocado oil works too.
• Heavy Cream: If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use regular whole milk or half and half, but keep in mind the sauce won’t be as creamy.
• Onions/Garlic: Don’t have fresh garlic and onions on hand? Feel free to use garlic powder and onion powder instead.

Top Tips

• Make sure to cook the pasta until al dente.
• Add a good amount of salt. This recipe is extra tasty when you season it generously.
• If you don’t want to blend the sauce, be sure to crush the tomatoes well and make sure the onions and garlic are finely minced. The sauce will be a lot chunkier if you don’t blend it.
• If you don’t have a regular blender, you can use a food processor or immersion blender. If using an immersion blender, make sure to turn off the heat before blending the sauce.
• If you want the vodka sauce to be extra creamy, add more heavy cream and parmesan cheese. You can also simmer the sauce on low for a few extra minutes to increase the thickness.

Storage

Have leftovers? Allow the Penne Alla Vodka to cool completely and then transfer to an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. You may also freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

More Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Four Cheese Pasta
• Baked Spaghetti
• Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
• Spicy Crab Bucatini

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