This creamy cherry tomato pasta alla vodka is what summer dinners are made of—simple fresh flavors whipped up in a saute pan and done in under 30 minutes. A creamy sauce made with blistered sweet tomatoes, a splash of vodka, fresh herbs, and a good handful of parmesan that clings to every bite of pasta.
Jump to:
- Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta Perfect for Weeknights
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make Creamy Pasta alla Vodka with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Chef's Tips
- Serving Ideas
- Storing, Freezing, Reheating
- Equipment I Used
- FAQs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More of my Favorite Pasta Dishes
- Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta Perfect for Weeknights
We're blistering and bursting tomatoes in olive oil and flavoring it all with herbs and garlic (yum), then blending it smooth with heavy cream. Simple, easy and delicious, it's one of my favorite pasta recipes period and I obsess over it during the summer.
This is everything I love for a Martha Girl Summer dinner party vibe: sweet summer cherry tomatoes fresh from my garden here at The Fig Orchard, a glass of crisp rosé, good company.
This dish is absolutely bursting with tomatoes, gorgeous fresh basil and parmesan cheese, a little vodka and plenty of cream for that silky, rich mouthfeel.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick. From start to finish in under 30 minutes. No long simmering, no extra pots.
- Peak summer flavor. Cherry tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and made for this kind of dish.
- Creamy, but not heavy. The sauce is rich, silky, and balanced; never gloopy or watered down.
- Looks impressive, tastes even better. It’s simple but feels elevated, like something you’d serve with a cold glass of wine and linen napkins.
- Easy to riff on. Add burrata, shrimp, grilled chicken, or keep it just as it is for a Meatless Monday meal.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes are often sweeter than canned ones, especially cherry tomatoes. Roma tomatoes can be swapped in.
- Olive oil. We're not using high heat so you can use extra virgin if you want. A first on my blog!
- Fresh herbs. Using fresh oregano, basil, and/or thyme here. I'm taking advantage of my herb garden and suggest you do, too!
- Red pepper flakes. I only use a pinch but if you want a spicy cherry tomato vodka sauce, go with your heart, honey.
- Diced yellow onion. Yellow onions are full of delicious flavor that mellows and turns into that sweeter flavor as it's cooked.
- Smashed garlic. I love garlic, so I use a lot. If you're not a fan, use maybe two cloves.
- Heavy Cream. If you want to exchange it, a plant-based product like some full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream works well (the coconut milk will change the taste).
- Vodka. If you're just going to buy one of those tiny vials of vodka, buy whatever one you find because it's not about the flavor or alcohol in this recipe.
- Short cut pasta. We all have seen penne pasta in pasta alla vodka recipes but I find the twisty, curly types to be the best in holding all that sauce.
- Grated parmesan cheese. Don't get the dust in the green can, please. It's just as easy to buy a wedge of good quality parm at the store and grate a little with a box grater or microplane.
- Butter. This is an old culinary school/restaurant technique called monter au beurre, adding a knob of butter to your sauce at the end so that it thickens and gives us a satiny sauce with a velvety mouthfeel.
How to Make Creamy Pasta alla Vodka with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
Step 1 | Sauté the aromatics.
Warm up a good drizzle of olive oil in your sauté pan or. Add your aromatics—think minced garlic, shallots, chili flakes, and your favorite herbs to let those flavors sizzle and bloom.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta until just shy of al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
Step 2 | Burst the cherry tomatoes.
Add the cherry tomatoes straight into the skillet. Let their skins blister and brown a little, seasoning with salt and pepper as they start to soften. Once they begin to burst, help them along by smashing gently with a wooden spoon. Let them cook down until they’re thick and jammy.
Step 3 | Blend the sauce.
Turn off the heat. Carefully transfer the hot tomato mixture into a blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the skillet, with the heat off). Blend until smooth and velvety. If your blender isn’t high-powered, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any skins or seeds.
Step 4 | Simmer with vodka and cream.
Pour the smooth tomato puree back into the skillet. Stir in the heavy cream and vodka. Let it gently simmer for at least 10 minutes, 20 to 30 minutes if you’ve got time to thicken the sauce. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor.
Step 5 | Finish the sauce.
Whisk in a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese and a knob of cold butter into the vodka sauce. If the sauce feels too thick or like it needs a little more volume, stir in about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water.
Step 6 | Bring it all together.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss it well to coat. Let it cook together for a minute or two so the noodles can soak up all that creamy, tomatoey goodness.
Step 7 | Garnish and serve.
Garnish with torn fresh basil, more parmesan cheese on top, and a crack of black pepper. Serve hot with crusty garlic bread on the side or as a perfect partner to your favorite main dish.
Chef's Tips
- Want a pasta alla vodka sauce that tastes like it was simmering for hours? Add a teaspoon of tomato paste into the tomato sauce. It's a concentrated flavor that has the taste of a sauce that's been on the stove all day long.
- Let the pasta finish cooking in the vodka sauce. Get just before al dente, then pick up the pasta with a slotted spoon and mix into the sauce. They'll soak up a little of that creamy sauce, becoming infused with its flavor, and the pasta water clinging to it will help thicken up the sauce even more.
- Do not add oil to your pasta water. The oil actually repels the sauce from attaching to your pasta, making for nude noods and possibly greasy sauce.
- Sauce too thick? Add a little of the pasta water to loosen the sauce before serving.
Serving Ideas
- Toss together a quick salad. Peppery arugula, lemon juice, a drizzle of good olive oil, and shaved parm. That’s it. Fresh and bright to cut through the cream.
- Add some protein if you want to level up. Grilled shrimp, pan-seared chicken, or a few crispy prosciutto slices on top? Yes, yes, and yes.
- Need bread? Always. A warm slice of crusty sourdough or garlic knots makes it extra satisfying—especially if you're mopping up the sauce.
- Drinks that play nice: A cold rosé or crisp white wine is perfect here. If you're not drinking, a sparkling lemonade with a basil sprig or a playful summer mocktail hits the same notes.
- Serve it up pretty. A big shallow pasta bowl, fresh herbs on top, maybe a linen napkin and vintage glassware if you’re feeling cute.
Storing, Freezing, Reheating
If you're anything like me right now, you're not just using all the abundant produce this summer's offering, but you're also saving it for fall and winter!
Storage: This pasta sauce is great for making ahead for meal planning and meal prep! Just make the sauce and keep it in an airtight container for five days in the fridge.
To reheat it, put it in a small saucepan on low and add the hot freshly cooked pasta to the sauce with a splash of pasta water.
Freezing: You can freeze vodka sauce! Put it into a freezer safe container or bag with as little air in it as possible. Freeze the sauce for up to 6 months.
Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge and follow the reheating instructions!
Equipment I Used
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Vodka sauce is a modern classic Italian pasta sauce made with tomatoes, heavy cream, herbs, vodka, and parmesan cheese.
Vodka helps keep the cream from curdling in acidic tomato sauce by acting as an emulsifier. It also pulls flavor from the tomatoes and herbs in a way water or broth can’t—kind of like how vanilla extract works. The alcohol cooks off, but the flavor boost stays. Some folks even say it softens the acidity, too.
More of my Favorite Pasta Dishes
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Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
Ingredients
Boiling Pasta
- water, for boiling pasta
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt, for boiling pasta
- 12 ounces short cut pasta
Cherry Tomato Vodka Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed from stem, optional
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem, optional
- 1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 pints fresh cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 4 tablespoon cold butter, cubed
- grated parmesan cheese, for serving
- hand torn basil leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. While the water heats, begin preparing the vodka sauce. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente.water, 2 tablespoon kosher salt, 12 ounces short cut pasta
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.¼ cup olive oil, 1 small yellow onion, 4 sprigs fresh oregano, ½ cup fresh basil leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and sauté for about 10 minutes, until their skins begin to burst. Let them simmer for an additional 5 minutes, gently pressing them with a wooden spoon to help them break down and become jammy, allowing some of the liquid to reduce.4 pints fresh cherry tomatoes
- Turn the heat off and pour the tomato sauce into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth, then pour the tomato sauce back into the sauté pan.
- Return the pan to medium heat. Whisk in the vodka and let it simmer for about 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Stir in the heavy cream, then taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Reduce the heat to low.⅓ cup vodka, 1 cup heavy cream, kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce, it'll finish cooking in it, absorbing the flavors.
- Add the parmesan cheese, stirring until the parmesan is completely incorporated. Add the cubed butter and stir until the butter is just melted in.½ cup parmesan cheese, 4 tablespoon cold butter
- Serve hot and top with the hand-torn basil and parmesan cheese.grated parmesan cheese, hand torn basil leaves
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