Penne Alla Vodka Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Pasta in vodka sauce is a really easy 'from scratch' sauce to make with your most basic ingredients. Plus it's on the table in about 25 minutes or less.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

1 pound penne rigatoni, or ziti
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup tomato paste about 4.5 ounces
1 shallot finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons vodka
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallot and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and vodka. Stir until the paste fully coats the shallots and garlic. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until vodka evaporates.
Add 1 cup of pasta water. Stir until smooth. Bring sauce to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add cream and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold in the pasta until fully coated in the sauce. Add additional reserved pasta water if needed (a little at a time) if the sauce is too thick. I like a creamy sauce that is thick enough to cling to the pasta.
Serve garnished with more parmesan and chopped fresh basil.

Notes

Cooking pasta in less water (just enough to cover by an inch), will increase the starch concentration, making it richer and better for sauce consistency.

Vodka adds a very subtle peppery flavor and boosts the flavors in the dish. Most, if not all alcohol cooks off during simmering, leaving behind an unmatchable taste. You can omit the vodka altogether and still produce a tasty dish. I would not recommend substituting other spirits.

If you want to make homemade sauce, I recommend Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce as a base. You can also use jarred marinara such as Rao's, Skip the pasta water if you use marinara or homemade sauce.

Nutrition