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!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 580kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

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

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.

Video

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