Penne alla Vodka is one of the best tomato-based pasta dishes, this creamy homemade vodka sauce is made in just 15 minutes! Perfect for busy families, this recipe is totally weeknight friendly with little effort needed!
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It's the start of back to school season, and that means...well, this year it means most of us aren't sending the babies back to school. I personally am homeschooling Greyson full time again, but this time instead of pre-school, it's first grade.
Let's just let that sink in. I started this blog when he was two, and he's turning seven now. It's insane how fast time flies.
What does that have to do with penne alla vodka? Well, it means that not only am I the editor in chief of Sweet Tea and Thyme, running a business full time, but I'm also homeschooling a six-turning-seven-year-old and ain't nobody got time for tons of chopping up dinner prep and babysitting a pan (looking at you, delicious mushroom risotto).
We want a fast, delicious, kid-approved, and easy recipe because we're still trying to get those babies in the bath and to bed by 7 or 8...right, moms? Whipping up a quick tomato and cream sauce with grated onions and garlic for those picky eaters who don't like chunks of onions, tossed with pasta makes the whole family happy. Add in leftover chicken, sausage, or shrimp for protein and jazz up that vodka sauce.
Where Penne alla Vodka comes from
Penne alla Vodka became really popular in the 1980s and were served at night clubs in the United States. It was extremely fashionable to use heavy cream in all the recipes back then (I mean, the eighties were known for extravagance and decadence).
So where does the dish come from? Honestly, no one knows for sure. Some say it comes from Bologna, Italy, some say it comes from an Italian actor who put the recipe into a cookbook called L'Abbuffone, and historians trace it back to a chef named James Doty here in the U.S.
Considering cream and tomatoes aren't traditional in Italian cuisine --and trust me, I know how important traditions are to Italians-- I am partial to believe that penne alla vodka and vodka sauce are Italian-American. Y'all can fight about it in the comments.
How to Make Penne alla Vodka
I love making vodka sauce because it's really just simple and fast. The flavor is bright from the tomatoes and vodka, the creamy richness from the heavy cream just hits all the right comfort spots we want especially when the weather gets cooler, and we know that garlic and onion always make savory dishes explode with great flavor (and good nutrition!)
Simply saute onions and tomato paste, add garlic, pour in the pureed tomatoes, vodka, and herbs, let that simmer real good then add the heavy cream and cheese. Toss the pasta in and that's it! Dinner is ready in fifteen minutes.
Ingredients
- Yellow Onions. They're extremely common and super affordable, they have a sweeter flavor than red or white onions. I grate them in this recipe with a box grater because I have a picky eater who does not like the texture of onions but loves the flavor.
- Tomato Paste. Secret ingredient! I like sauteing tomato paste with the onions to help bring even deeper, richer, more sweet tomato flavor into the vodka sauce. Tomato paste is already concentrated, cooked, and reduced tomatoes but giving it a little warming up with the onions gives even more flavor.
- Minced Garlic. Pro Tip: Don't want to mince or press garlic yourself? Try that minced garlic in the tubes! It's in the refrigerated section with the produce at your local big grocery store and on Amazon.
- Dried Oregano and Basil. Some Italian seasoning also works great here.
- San Marzano Tomatoes. They only come whole or halved, so give them a quick blitz in a food processor or blender. San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter, lower in acidity, and have a more developed flavor, they're considered the best tomatoes in the world. Can't find them or don't want to dirty up a blender? That's okay, use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, I've got a trick to lower their acidity.
- Just a shot of vodka. I talk more about why vodka is in vodka sauce and all about it down below. It adds a little heat and a bit of a sharp bite that helps balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the richness of the cream.
- Heavy cream. This makes it nice and velvety and creamy, and just like the vodka it's an important part of vodka sauce (it can be substituted for vegan needs, though! See below.)
- Real Parmesan Cheese. If you got that green can I want you to throw it away, go to ALDI, buy a $2 wedge of parmesan, and experience real cheese goodness. No excuses; it's affordable, it's delicious, and it levels up your cooking!
- Crushed red pepper. I know some littles don't like spice at all, so omit it if you need to. I like just a little dash, it adds a zippy bite.
- Butter and Olive Oil. Butter is delicious and this recipe loves it, but olive oil has a higher smoke point, so it makes sure your butter doesn't burn while sauteing the onions and tomato paste.
Why is there Vodka in Vodka Sauce?
It wouldn't be vodka sauce without vodka! Vodka adds an under-note of flavor that boosts the tomatoes and gives it a lightened up taste that cuts through the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Not only that but the vodka acts as an emulsifier --or binder-- for all the fats and liquids and acids to stay blended together instead of becoming a broken, messy sauce.
Does the vodka cook out?
In my recipe, I only add a shot of vodka...just a shot...maybe two. Just cooking it and letting it simmer for about 10 minutes cooks all that alcohol out. The more vodka you put, the longer you'd need to cook it out and make it kid-friendly, which is why we only put a shot (or two). The alcohol releases flavors in the other ingredients that no other substitute can do.
If you want to be extra cautious (my friends who are pregnant this is for you especially!) set it to simmer for half an hour so you're 100% certain it's alcohol-free or simply leave it out.
What goes well with penne alla vodka
It doesn't have to be penne in your vodka sauce, you know. I love rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, linguine, don't even get me started on tortellini (I love some tortellini!) basically any pasta that can hold that vodka sauce really well. And there was a time Greyson wouldn't eat anything but 'curly noodles' (rotini) so mamas, just use what you got!
Serve your penne vodka with:
- Cheesy Cheddar Bay Biscuits are just amazing with this vodka sauce.
- A delicious salad, I love this grilled salmon salad.
- Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper Focaccia. It's a simple bread made with a ton of olive oil and it's SO good.
Doctor up your vodka sauce
I love jazzing up the vodka sauce with pancetta or bacon. The flavor is just so good! Chop the bacon up, sizzle it in the pan to render the fat and make it crisp, remove it from the pan and then start cooking your onions in the bacon fat.
Pure deliciousness!
Can I make it vegan or diet friendly?
Vegan friendly: The vegan world has me shook! There's something called cashew cream and cashew cheese and they're delish! There is also vegan parmesan cheese at Whole Foods, but you can just omit the cheese aspect if you want.
Paleo-friendly: Use that cashew cream, omit the butter and parm, and only use olive oil. Toss it with zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta!
Keto-friendly: Keep the heavy cream and butter (aka the good stuff) and add zoodles instead of the pasta.
Gluten-free: There's gluten-free pasta now! Sub that in, the vodka sauce is already gluten free!
Sensitive to acidity? Try this!
I know many people run from tomato sauces because they're terrified of the acid reflux. Here's a fun chemistry tip: stir in ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
Besides fizzing up and neutralizing the acids, it does knock down the acidic flavor as well. So if you find your tomatoes aren't very sweet, try adding just a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to knock down that acidity.
Making Vodka Sauce in Advance
To make penne alla vodka in advance, just make the vodka cream sauce ahead of time. In fact, this is a great meal prep situation! Make the vodka sauce at the beginning of the week and keep in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to use it! Then boil the pasta, warm the sauce up in a saucepan on medium-low heat, toss together, and eat!
How to freeze vodka sauce
The cream and cheese will not freeze well with the rest of the sauce. So when you want to freeze a batch, make the sauce right until you have to add cream and cheese, then let it cool completely before putting into freezer-safe zip-top bags (flattening them out helps them thaw faster!) and freezing flat. The vodka sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months
How to Reheat Vodka Sauce
Thaw in the fridge overnight, or in a sous vide bath for about ten minutes. Then reheat in a saucepan til simmering, and continue the recipe by adding the cream and cheese.
Recommended Tools
- Blender or Food Processor, if using San Marzano tomatoes
- Large Saute Pan. You do not want to use cast iron for tomato sauces! The reaction will make your tomato sauce taste metallic.
Love pasta? Check out these pasta recipes:
- Bacon Mushroom Tortellini (fondly called the BMT)
If you're looking for more weeknight dinners that will save the day, check out my Weeknight category!
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Easy Penne alla Vodka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon regular olive oil, not extra virgin
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, grated
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 or 2 shots of vodka
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 16 oz dried penne pasta
- ½ cup 120 mL heavy cream (at least 36% butterfat)
- ¾ cup 75 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add olive oil and butter to a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and cook for several minutes until translucent, then add tomato paste and saute for three minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the can of crushed tomatoes, vodka, and dried oregano and basil. Let simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- While vodka sauce is simmering, cook penne pasta according to package instructions.
- Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer for another 5 minutes or until thickened. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper to taste.
- To serve, pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and extra black pepper.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.
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