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If you love ordering penne alla vodka at Italian restaurants, this homemade version is every bit as delicious, and there’s something especially satisfying about making it yourself.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
Penne alla vodka, or penne with vodka sauce, is one of those no-food-in-the-house dinners that I make over and over again. Aside from the fresh basil—and even that grows abundantly on my patio during the summer—every ingredient for this dish is always on hand in my kitchen.
The vodka sauce, a bright tomato sauce enriched with heavy cream, comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta. You won’t really taste the vodka; it’s simply there to cut the richness of the dish without adding a distinct flavor of its own. Interestingly, some believe the dish was created by vodka companies to sell more vodka!
“My husband said it was better than eating it in an Italian restaurant.”
What You’ll Need To Make Penne Alla Vodka
- Penne: The ridged pasta is perfect for catching the creamy sauce.
- Butter, onion, and garlic: Form the flavorful base of the sauce.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Add a subtle kick without making the dish spicy.
- Whole peeled tomatoes and tomato paste: Create a rich tomato base. The tomato paste adds concentrated flavor.
- Vodka: Helps bring out the flavors of the tomatoes without making the sauce taste boozy.
- Heavy cream: Gives the sauce its signature silky, creamy texture.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fresh basil and Parmesan: Add freshness and a savory finishing touch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Penne Vodka
Cook the aromatics: Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion until softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook briefly, being careful not to brown the garlic.
Add the tomatoes and vodka: Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and vodka. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors come together.
Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, cook the penne until just shy of al dente—it will finish cooking in the sauce. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
Finish the sauce: Stir the cream into the tomato sauce and simmer briefly, then purée with an immersion blender until mostly smooth.
Combine the pasta and sauce: Add the sauce to the drained penne and cook together until the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed, then stir in the basil and serve with grated Parmesan.
Make-Ahead & Storage
The sauce can be fully prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, cook the penne until al dente. While the pasta cooks, gently reheat the sauce, then combine everything as directed in the recipe.
Penne alla vodka Variations
Penne alla vodka is delicious as is, but it’s also easy to dress up. For a heartier meal, stir browned Italian sausage or sliced leftover grilled chicken breasts into the finished sauce to warm through before adding the pasta.
For a salty, crispy topping, try crumbled prosciutto. Simply place a few slices of prosciutto between two paper towels on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the top paper towel and let the prosciutto sit for a few seconds until crisp, then crumble it over the pasta just before serving.
Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion, from 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-oz) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices (see note)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 16 oz penne pasta
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, plus more for serving
- Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat the butter in a 3-qt (3L) saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Do not brown.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and vodka; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a lively simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta according to the package instructions until just shy of al dente (it will cook for a few minutes more in the sauce). Before draining, ladle out about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
- Stir the cream into the sauce and simmer, uncovered, about 3 minutes more.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the sauce until mostly smooth, leaving some small chunks. (Alternatively, ladle some of the sauce into a blender and purée until smooth. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dish towel to avoid splatters, then add back to the pan.)
- Pour the sauce over the penne. It may seem a little soupy; that’s okay. Bring the sauce and pasta to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently; cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened enough to cling to the pasta, a few minutes. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems dry.
- Stir in the basil, then taste and adjust seasoning with if necessary. Spoon the pasta into serving bowls and pass the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.
Notes
- Diced canned tomatoes are treated with a chemical that prevents them from breaking down when cooking, so when I want a smooth tomato sauce, I prefer to use canned whole tomatoes and chop them myself. You can crush them by hand individually as you add them to the pan, but they splatter like crazy when squeezed, so it’s best to either use kitchen shears to cut them directly in the can or pour the entire contents of the can into a resealable freezer bag, press out any excess air, seal tightly, and then squish by hand.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Fantastic recipe, super easy and delicious. Not sure I’ve made a sauce where I’ve liked it immediately. Normally, I tweak it slightly.
I will note, I used 18% cream vs 35% (for health). I still thought it was great and don’t feel that I was missing anything. If you are using a lower fat cream, I’d recommend adding it off the heat, tempering the cream if you can and perhaps not simmering it after adding it. Lighter cream splits more easily than heavy cream. Once blended it’s fine.
Super easy to add bacon, pancetta, chicken, sausage, etc if you like.
GREAT recipe. Will definitely be a go-to.
I’m just making this at 5:20 on Friday evening and I can’t help chuckling at the term a “lively simmer”.🤣🇨🇦
Made this last night, absolutely delicious. All four of my children came back for seconds. I need to double the recipe next time!
You make a very average cook look like a good cook, thank you so much.