Ready in around 30 minutes, this penne alla vodka is one of our go-to
pasta dinners when we’re looking for an easy-to-make recipe that greatly delivers on flavor and comfort. Making homemade pasta sauce does require a bit more effort than picking up that trusty jar, but trust us—with this vodka sauce, it makes all the difference. After trying and testing this recipe again and again to perfect the creamy, bright sauce that coats each and every noodle, we’ve finally cracked the code to the best-ever vodka sauce (hint: it all comes down to one ingredient).
Read on for all of the top tips we learned when perfecting this tried-and-true sauce:
How to make the best-ever vodka sauce:
Delish’s secret for the best-ever vodka sauce? A LOT of tomato paste. Tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor than canned tomatoes, and texture-wise makes for a smoother, velvety sauce. If you’re all about a saucy pasta (and with this one, how couldn’t you be?), we recommend doubling the sauce.
Wondering if you need to use vodka? While it’s not absolutely necessary, this sauce wouldn’t really be the same without it (hence, the name). If you’d really prefer it without, you can omit, but it enhances all of the bright, sharp flavors in your creamy sauce, and is what makes vodka sauce, vodka sauce.
The best vodka to use:
No need to pull out the expensive vodka for this recipe—one that you have on hand will work just fine. Use your favorite, or check out our favorite vodka brands for inspo.
The pasta:
As you can see from the picture, you don’t need to use penne. In fact, we prefer the fatter rigatoni tubes because the middles catch more sauce. Rigatoni alla vodka just doesn’t have the same ring to it, ya know? Feel free to add in your favorite pasta—just make sure it’s one that catches plenty of sauce.
Variations & additions:
— Pancetta, bacon or diced prosciutto. Starting with a cold skillet, cook 6 ounces of diced pancetta, bacon, or prosciutto over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pork is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
— Rotisserie chicken. Separate the breast meat from the chicken, remove the skin, and use your hands or a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Toss into the pasta and sauce, just before topping with Parmesan and basil.
— Sautéed veggies. Broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini are all great options for adding an extra serving of veggies to this dish. Toss 1 cup of sautéed, seasoned vegetables into the finished pasta and season to taste with salt.
What to serve with penne alla vodka:
Looking for side inspo? Check out our top side dishes for pasta. We highly recommend pairing this with homemade garlic bread (or focaccia), cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts, or our sheet-pan panzanella salad.
Other ways to use vodka sauce:
We’re obsessed with vodka sauce—it goes way beyond this classic pasta dish. Our vodka meatballs are great for the meatball obsessed, cauliflower alla vodka is a perfect low-carb option, our creamy pumpkin vodka sauce with penne is one of our favorite fall dinners, and our copycat Carbone spicy rigatoni perfects the fan-favorite dish.
Storage:
If you end up not using all of your sauce, store it in the fridge for 4-5 days, then reheat and add to freshly boiled pasta (or whatever you please).
Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Ready in around 30 minutes, this penne alla vodka is one of our go-to
pasta dinners when we’re looking for an easy-to-make recipe that greatly delivers on flavor and comfort. Making homemade pasta sauce does require a bit more effort than picking up that trusty jar, but trust us—with this vodka sauce, it makes all the difference. After trying and testing this recipe again and again to perfect the creamy, bright sauce that coats each and every noodle, we’ve finally cracked the code to the best-ever vodka sauce (hint: it all comes down to one ingredient).
Read on for all of the top tips we learned when perfecting this tried-and-true sauce:
How to make the best-ever vodka sauce:
Delish’s secret for the best-ever vodka sauce? A LOT of tomato paste. Tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor than canned tomatoes, and texture-wise makes for a smoother, velvety sauce. If you’re all about a saucy pasta (and with this one, how couldn’t you be?), we recommend doubling the sauce.
Wondering if you need to use vodka? While it’s not absolutely necessary, this sauce wouldn’t really be the same without it (hence, the name). If you’d really prefer it without, you can omit, but it enhances all of the bright, sharp flavors in your creamy sauce, and is what makes vodka sauce, vodka sauce.
The best vodka to use:
No need to pull out the expensive vodka for this recipe—one that you have on hand will work just fine. Use your favorite, or check out our favorite vodka brands for inspo.
The pasta:
As you can see from the picture, you don’t need to use penne. In fact, we prefer the fatter rigatoni tubes because the middles catch more sauce. Rigatoni alla vodka just doesn’t have the same ring to it, ya know? Feel free to add in your favorite pasta—just make sure it’s one that catches plenty of sauce.
Variations & additions:
— Pancetta, bacon or diced prosciutto. Starting with a cold skillet, cook 6 ounces of diced pancetta, bacon, or prosciutto over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pork is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
— Rotisserie chicken. Separate the breast meat from the chicken, remove the skin, and use your hands or a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Toss into the pasta and sauce, just before topping with Parmesan and basil.
— Sautéed veggies. Broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini are all great options for adding an extra serving of veggies to this dish. Toss 1 cup of sautéed, seasoned vegetables into the finished pasta and season to taste with salt.
What to serve with penne alla vodka:
Looking for side inspo? Check out our top side dishes for pasta. We highly recommend pairing this with homemade garlic bread (or focaccia), cacio e pepe Brussels sprouts, or our sheet-pan panzanella salad.
Other ways to use vodka sauce:
We’re obsessed with vodka sauce—it goes way beyond this classic pasta dish. Our vodka meatballs are great for the meatball obsessed, cauliflower alla vodka is a perfect low-carb option, our creamy pumpkin vodka sauce with penne is one of our favorite fall dinners, and our copycat Carbone spicy rigatoni perfects the fan-favorite dish.
Storage:
If you end up not using all of your sauce, store it in the fridge for 4-5 days, then reheat and add to freshly boiled pasta (or whatever you please).
Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
- Yields:
-
4
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Total Time:
- 35 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 729
Directions
-
- Step 1
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until paste has coated shallots and garlic and is beginning to darken, 5 minutes.
- Step 3Add vodka to pot and stir to incorporate, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn off heat.
- Step 4Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Step 5Return sauce to medium heat and add 1/4 cup of pasta water and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Add half the Parmesan and stir until melted. Turn off heat and stir in cooked pasta. Fold in remaining Parmesan, adding more pasta water (about a tablespoon at a time) if the sauce is looking dry. Season with salt if needed. Serve topped with more Parmesan and torn basil leaves.
- Step 1
Parker feierbach