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    You are here: Home / Savory / Penne Alla Vodka

    Penne Alla Vodka

    February 6, 2023 By Sam 8 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of Penne Alla Vodka, top image is a full pot of pasta photographed from above, bottom image is of a full pot photographed from the side

    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.

    Wooden spoon resting in a large skillet of penne alla vodka topped with parmesan cheese.

    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.

    Close-up view of penne alla vodka topped with parmesan and fresh basil.

    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

    Overhead view of ingredients including penne pasta, vodka, canned tomatoes, cream, and more.

    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

    Collage of four photos showing onions being cooked and combined with tomatoes to make a pasta sauce.
    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.
    Collage of four photos showing cream being poured into tomato sauce before being blended and combined with penne pasta.
    1. Add the cream – Slowly stir in the cream until incorporated.
    2. Blend and simmer – Blend the sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or blender. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes.
    3. Make your pasta – Prepare your pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining (do NOT rinse!).
    4. 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.

    Overhead view of a skillet of penne alla vodka topped with parmesan and fresh basil.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why add vodka to pasta sauce?

    The vodka melds the cream and tomatoes together and enhances the overall flavor of the sauce, particularly the tomatoes. It creates a silky texture and changes the sauce in a noticeable way without making it taste like vodka.

    Is penne alla vodka alcoholic?

    Technically yes, since we are adding alcohol. However, we are going to cook off most of that alcohol (if not all), and the final dish will have very little left once divided among 6 portions. No one will be getting tipsy from pasta alla vodka!

    However, if you’re really worried about it, I suggest you use your own discretion when serving to alcohol-sensitive guests and kids.

    What does penne alla vodka taste like?

    Pasta alla vodka has a strong tomato taste mellowed by cream and vodka. It’s rich, but pleasant to eat with a well-rounded flavor. While you may still be able to detect some vodka flavor by the time the sauce is done cooking, it will be very subtle and most certainly not the main flavor of the dish.

    Skillet of penne pasta in a tomato vodka sauce topped with parmesan cheese.

    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

    Overhead view of a skillet of penne alla vodka topped with parmesan and fresh basil.

    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 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 580kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion, 140g)
    • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
    • ⅓ cup vodka (80ml)
    • 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 can whole peeled tomatoes may substitute crushed tomatoes (do not drain) (794g)
    • 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (265ml)
    • ¼ cup grated parmesan plus additional for serving (freshly grated preferred) (20g)
    • 16 oz penne pasta (453g)
    • 2 Tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil

    Recommended Equipment

    • Dutch Oven
    • Immersion blender
    Prevent 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 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 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 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 + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
    • Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prepare pasta while mixture simmers.
      16 oz 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 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.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie

      February 23, 2023 at 5:40 pm

      I thought this was very tasty and fun to make.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        February 24, 2023 at 10:11 am

        So glad to hear it, Debbie! Thanks for trying our recipe ❤️

        Reply
    2. Paula

      February 15, 2023 at 10:31 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! I was looking for something special to make for Valentine’s day dinner and this was perfect! Loved it! 😋 I love all your recipes! I just made your beef ragu last Saturday! Was very warming! We have been eating good lately!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 16, 2023 at 9:05 pm

        I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying everything so much! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Misty

      February 15, 2023 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      We loved this! Will definitely be added into our meal rotation!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 16, 2023 at 9:10 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Misty! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kelley

      February 12, 2023 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      LOVE‼️Made the recipe exactly as instructed and it is FABULOUS ‼️it is a keeper for sure‼️

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 12, 2023 at 4:06 pm

        Thank you so much for trying my recipe, and for the review, Kelley! I’m so happy you enjoyed!! 🙂

        Reply

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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