Penne alla Vodka
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Looking for a quick, delicious dinner? Penne alla vodka is a classic Italian pasta dish with a creamy tomato sauce that’s packed with flavor—perfect for an easy weeknight meal!
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. Fun fact: 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
- Butter: Used to sauté the onions and garlic and adds richness to the sauce.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics provide the base flavors of the sauce.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Introduce a subtle heat to the sauce; feel free to adjust to your liking.
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes: The base of the sauce. For the best flavor, look for San Marzano tomatoes—they’re prized for their natural sweetness, vibrant color, and low acidity.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the sauce’s tomato flavor and enhances its color and thickness.
- Vodka: Cuts the richness of the dish without adding a strong flavor. If you prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with white wine or even chicken or vegetable broth for a non-alcoholic option.
- Penne Pasta: The traditional pasta of choice for this dish as its tube shape holds the creamy sauce well. Feel free to substitute other short pastas, like rigatoni or ziti.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creates a creamy texture, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a nutty, salty layer of flavor when sprinkled on top before serving. For the best flavor, go with Parmigiano-Reggiano, the real-deal Italian Parmesan. It’s richer and more complex than the generic Parmesan in the green can—and totally worth the upgrade!
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make the sauce, heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until it’s shimmering. Add the onion and cook until it’s softened and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and vodka to the pan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta according to the package instructions until just shy of al dente.
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.
To finish the sauce, add the heavy cream. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes more, then use an immersion blender to purée it—you want it mostly smooth but it’s perfectly fine to leave some small chunks.
Pour the sauce over the penne and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook until it thickens and clings to the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water if needed. Be sure to toss the pasta with the sauce in the pot for a minute or two—this helps the sauce really stick and the flavors come together. Stir in the basil, then spoon into serving bowls and pass the grated cheese at the table.
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Penne alla Vodka
Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, penne alla vodka is the perfect dish to satisfy your pasta cravings with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion (from 1 small yellow onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices (see Pro Tip below)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 1 pound 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-quart 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.
- Pro Tip: 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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The sauce can be fully prepared a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. When it's time to serve, cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, gently reheat the sauce and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 491
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sodium: 453 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
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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Made this tonight to go with summer awesome bone in pork chops. The recipe is so simple, so easy to do, and so delicious that I’ll never buy a jar of vodka sauce again! Followed it to the letter but made it gluten free by using gf pasta and gf vodka… Yes, vodka can contain gluten. Tito’s is our favorite.
Made this tonight, what a great recipe ! A home run, added to my favourites !
Amazing!! I wouldn’t even bother to order this now that I have your recipe, Jenn. I pre grilled chicken breasts and sliced half of one to go on top. (Absolutely doesn’t need anything, but I wanted some protein tonight.). Congrats on your new book! I thought I had pre-ordered (I’ve been looking, looking for my copy to arrive;) but, checking my on-line order history, I see that I did not! I am remedying this straight away! Congratulations, again.
This looks amazing and I’ll have to check out the new cookbook! What brand and size is the pot you have the penne in? Thanks!
Hi Janie, It is a 5-qt Anolon stainless steel pot. I use it a lot for pasta.
I am so glad that this is one of the recipes that was included in your new book! It is one of the group of recipes that I had the absolute privilege to test, and it is fabulous!
I’ve sometimes chosen to add sliced, grilled Italian sausage to this dish. My Amazon cookbook order is on its way, and I can’t wait to see which of my group’s tested recipes appear in print! Thanks again, Jenn!
I was so fortunate to test this recipe for the new cookbook. My whole family loves this and I make it a couple times a month!
It is so easy to make and I too always have these ingredients on hand in my kitchen.
Love it as a main dish but sometimes I like to serve it as a side dish to breaded chicken breasts and an Italian salad.
Can’t wait to receive the new cookbook. Just got an email it’ll be arriving tomorrow!
Thanks Jen for another great recipe!
Hi Jenn. I’ve had this in a restaurant and it’s wonderful. Looking froward to making it. One question. Will a can of crushed tomatoes work, or do I need to crush a fresh one? Love your recipes and we have your first cookbook.
Hi Mike, I don’t recommend it — crushed tomatoes are actually a mixture of diced tomatoes and tomato puree or paste, so the result will be different. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! Just received the new cookbook on Tuesday & it is so beautiful. I’m planning to make this tonight:) Do you think I could use equal parts half and half and cream to reduce the calories just a bit?
Yep 🙂 Hope you enjoy, and so glad you like the book!
I was fortunate to test this recipe for the new cookbook and my whole family absolutely loves it! I make this very often and it’s so easy to put together with ingredients you have on hand. A super yummy pasta that can be a main dish or I like to serve it with breaded chicken breasts and a salad too.
Can’t wait to receive my cookbook. Just got an email it’s being delivered tomorrow!!
Thanks Jen for another great dish! ❤️
What would be the best way to add shredded chicken to this dish. My favorite restaurant has this dish but it comes with chicken and it’s so good. Looking to recreate it with your sauce. Thanks!
Hi Kara, I would just warm up the chicken until heated through and then mix it into the sauce right before you toss it with the pasta.
Looks delicious and simple! Why not use a can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole to simplify even more? I see the reason not to use diced.
Hi Brett, crushed tomatoes are actually a mixture of diced tomatoes and tomato puree or paste, so the texture will be different. Hope that clarifies!