Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka

a bowl of cherry tomato pasta alla vodka on a wood tray

4.72 from 42 votes

Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka

Make this extra creamy cherry tomato basil pasta alla vodka in less than 30 minutes! Using sweet summer cherry tomatoes for the best flavor, along with fresh herbs and plenty of parmesan cheese, this creamy sauce is bursting with fresh, craveable flavor.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 625kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

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

Notes

Storing, Freezing, Reheating

This pasta sauce is great for making ahead for meal planning and meal prep. Just make the sauce (not the pasta) 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 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!

Nutrition