Penne alla Vodka

The best Penne alla Vodka recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes! This simple combination of pasta and a made-from-scratch creamy tomato vodka sauce appeals to both kids and adults, making it perfect for weeknight family dinners. Serve it with garlic bread and Caesar salad for a quick and delicious restaurant-quality meal.

Authentic Vodka Sauce Recipe

Penne alla vodka is a classic Italian-American dish that rose to popularity in the United States in the 1980s, when it was offered to nightclub customers. An authentic vodka sauce recipe typically consists of heavy cream, crushed tomatoes and onions. This easy penne alla vodka is made by tossing penne pasta in a classic, creamy vodka sauce. It’s a great vegetarian entrée, or you can add chicken, shrimp, sausage, pancetta or bacon to appease the meat-lovers at your table. Garnish each bowl with some fresh basil and freshly-grated Parmesan for a quick, satisfying meal!

What does vodka do in penne alla vodka?

Vodka adds depth of flavor to the creamy tomato sauce without actually making the dish taste like alcohol. It highlights the other flavors in the sauce, and balances out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the cream. An authentic vodka sauce tastes rich, creamy, and silky on the tongue (thanks to the heavy cream), with just a touch of sweet acidity from the tomatoes. The ethanol in vodka also serves as an emulsifier, helping the water and lipids stay mixed together so that the sauce doesn’t separate.

Is there alcohol in penne alla vodka?

Yes, technically you’re adding alcohol (vodka) to the sauce. That said, most of the actual alcohol cooks off when you simmer the sauce, so you (and your kids) will not get drunk off of this dinner!

The Best Vodka to Use

Just like cooking with wine, when adding vodka to your pasta sauce, it’s important to pick a vodka that you actually like to drink. Not only will you have a bottle of the stuff leftover to enjoy, but a better-tasting vodka will yield a better-tasting vodka sauce! Any premium vodka that you prefer is fine: Skyy, Absolut, Ketel One, Van Gogh and Tito’s are all good options.

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make a creamy penne alla vodka recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Penne pasta: or substitute with any similar short pasta shape, such as rotini, farfalle, ziti or medium shells.
• Olive oil and butter: to sauté the garlic and onion.
• Garlic and onion: add savory flavor to the sauce.
• Oregano and basil: flavorful herbs that add a classic Italian touch.
• Tomato paste and tomato sauce: form the base of the vodka sauce and give the dish rich tomato flavor.
• Vodka: highlights the other flavors in the sauce and acts as an emulsifier. You can substitute with white wine or chicken broth, if necessary.
• Pesto sauce: use store-bought or homemade. The potent basil and Parmesan flavors in pesto add another layer of complexity to the sauce.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: for a touch of heat. Use more red pepper for a spicy penne alla vodka.
• Kosher salt and pepper: to enhance the flavors in the dish.
• Heavy cream: gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture and a silky mouthfeel.
• Grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil: garnishes that complete the meal!

How to Make Penne alla Vodka

Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go at the start, because this meal comes together really quickly!

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce later, if necessary.
2. While the pasta cooks, sauté the garlic and onion in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
3. Add the oregano and tomato paste.
4. Turn off the heat, stir in the vodka, and then return the mixture to a simmer and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
5. Reduce the heat, stir in the tomato sauce, pesto, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and then simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
6. Gradually stir in the cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
7. Taste and season the salt with salt, pepper and additional red pepper flakes, if necessary.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce; toss to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin until it reaches the desired consistency.
9. Garnish with basil and freshly-grated Parmesan, then serve!

What to Serve with Penne alla Vodka

This pasta dish goes well with any of the following easy sides:

• Garlic bread, homemade focaccia, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread
• Green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette or Caesar salad
• Roasted broccoli or asparagus
• Sauteed asparagus
• 2-ingredient Italian sugar snap peas
• Sauteed spinach with garlic

Storage

Leftover cooked pasta with the sauce will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing penne alla vodka, since the pasta will get mushy when thawed and the cream sauce may break.

To reheat the pasta, place in a saucepan or skillet, cover, and warm over low heat just until the dish reaches the desired temperature. Be careful not to boil the sauce or reheat it for too long, or the pasta will get mushy. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.

Recipe Variations

• Add chicken, shrimp or Italian sausage to the pasta and vodka sauce. You can brown chicken cutlets in olive oil in the skillet before making the sauce (about 2-3 minutes per side for thin cutlets), sauté shrimp in the skillet before making the sauce, or brown the Italian sausage in the skillet and drain off the fat before making the sauce. Remove the cooked chicken, shrimp or sausage from the pan while you make the sauce, then return it to the dish at the very end.
• Bacon or pancetta are both nice additions to the sauce, as well. Brown the meats in the skillet, then remove the bacon or pancetta to a plate (reserve the drippings in the pan). Use the drippings with a little bit more olive oil or butter to sauté the garlic and onion for the sauce. Then return the cooked bacon or pancetta to the sauce at the very end.
• Substitute with dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer to make the sauce without vodka.
• Instead of pesto, stir some extra fresh basil and grated Parmesan into the sauce.
• Any similar small short pasta will work as a substitute for the penne. Good options include rigatoni, farfalle (bowties), ziti, medium shells, rotini and gemelli.
• Make it spicy penne alla vodka by adding more crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.

Tips for the Best Penne alla Vodka Recipe

• Cut the onion and garlic into a very fine dice or mince. This way they add flavor to the sauce, but they don’t stand out or make the sauce chunky. They blend right in and the kids will never know they’re there!
• Cook the pasta just until al dente (tender, but with a firm bite). The total time necessary will depend on your specific brand and pasta shape, so check the instructions on your package.
• Use a high-quality vodka that you would actually like to drink, since this is an important component of the sauce.
• If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half. This recipe makes a very large portion!
• Make sure that the cream is at room temperature when you add it to the sauce. This will prevent it from “breaking” or separating.

More Favorite Pasta Recipes to Try

• Italian Sausage Pasta
• One-Skillet Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Homemade Lasagna
• Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
• Quick and Easy Bolognese Sauce
• Creamy Chicken Primavera
• Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta with Broccoli

Penne alla Vodka

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 457 kcal

The best Penne alla Vodka recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

  

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• 1 lb. dry penne pasta (or other short pasta of choice)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup vodka (or sub with dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth)
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup homemade or store-bought pesto sauce
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• ⅔ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• Optional garnish: chopped fresh basil; freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the garlic and onion; cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the oregano and tomato paste, cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Turn off the burner and pour in the vodka. Turn the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a bubble, cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low; stir in tomato sauce, pesto, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Gradually stream in the cream, stirring constantly.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1-2 more minutes, until heated through. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper or red pepper flakes, if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Stir in a little bit of the reserved cooking water, if necessary, to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. Garnish with freshly-grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

• Cut the onion and garlic into a very fine dice or mince. This way they add flavor to the sauce, but they don’t stand out or make the sauce chunky. They blend right in and the kids will never know they’re there!
• Cook the pasta just until al dente (tender, but with a firm bite). The total time necessary will depend on your specific brand and pasta shape, so check the instructions on your package.
• Use a high-quality vodka that you would actually like to drink, since this is an important component of the sauce.
• If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half. This recipe makes a very large portion!
• Make sure that the cream is at room temperature when you add it to the sauce. This will prevent it from “breaking” or separating.
• Add chicken, shrimp or Italian sausage to the pasta and vodka sauce. You can brown chicken cutlets in olive oil in the skillet before making the sauce (about 2-3 minutes per side for thin cutlets), sauté shrimp in the skillet before making the sauce, or brown the Italian sausage in the skillet and drain off the fat before making the sauce. Remove the cooked chicken, shrimp or sausage from the pan while you make the sauce, then return it to the dish at the very end.
• Bacon or pancetta are both nice additions to the sauce, as well. Brown the meats in the skillet before making the sauce, then remove the bacon or pancetta to a plate (reserve the drippings in the pan). Use the drippings with a little bit more olive oil or butter to saute the garlic and onion for the sauce. Then return the cooked bacon or pancetta to the sauce at the very end.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipeCalories: 457kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 565mgPotassium: 382mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 827IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

Keyword: authentic vodka sauce recipe, Penne alla Vodka, vodka sauce recipe

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Blair Lonergan

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