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This creamy vodka sauce is made with peeled tomatoes, vodka, cream, and a few other basic ingredients. It cooks perfectly in under 30 minutes!

For more of my favorite sauce recipes, check out this delicious marinara sauce and three cheese alfredo sauce!

You can do so much with this vodka sauce! You can pour it over penne, dip mozzarella sticks in it, or even make lasagna with it. The possibilities are endless! I love it because it’s super flavorful, chunky, delicious, and easy to make.

However, if you don’t like your vodka sauce with tomato chunks, place it in a blender until it’s nice and smooth.

CAN I MAKE THIS WITHOUT VODKA?

Yes, absolutely! Simply omit it. You can also replace the vodka with white wine.

INGREDIENT NOTES

See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.

• Peeled Tomatoes – I used one 28-ounce can of peeled tomatoes and crushed them with my hands. I prefer using peeled tomatoes instead of already crushed ones because I get to choose how chunky I want them to be. However, feel free to use peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for best results, avoid garlic paste.
• Vodka – Any type of vodka brand will work, just make sure it’s plain vodka and not flavored vodka.
• Heavy Cream – I highly recommend using heavy cream for this recipe, if you use whole milk or half-and-half, it won’t turn out as creamy.
• Sugar – It balances the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a nice flavor.

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Crush the peeled tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher and set them aside.
• Add olive oil and onions to a large pot and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions become translucent. 
• Stir in the fresh garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds. 
• Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, and a splash of water. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Once the 10 minutes are up, add the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with your choice of pasta, and enjoy!

TOP TIPS

• Want to make this vodka sauce extra flavorful? Add a parmesan cheese rind to the sauce while it simmers. It adds so much flavor!
• Feeding a crowd? Double or triple the recipe.
• This recipe is perfect for 1 lb of pasta, but I recommend adding a splash of pasta water to the sauce to make it even creamier!

STORAGE

This vodka sauce can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 4 days. I like placing it in a mason jar, just make sure it’s completely cooled before placing it in the fridge.

Tried this vodka sauce? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!