This penne alla vodka recipe stars a creamy, flavorful home made vodka sauce. Prepared in beneath half-hour, it is a comforting weeknight meal!

This penne alla vodka recipe is equal elements fast and comforting. It includes a home made vodka sauce that’s creamy, wealthy, and stuffed with tangy tomato taste…however straightforward to make in half-hour with a handful of pantry substances.

We like to make this penne alla vodka on fall and winter weeknights. It’s so easy, cozy, and flavorful. The following time you’re craving consolation meals, give it a strive. I feel you’ll love this penne alla vodka too!

The best way to Make Penne alla Vodka

This penne alla vodka recipe begins with easy substances:

Substances

• Vodka, in fact! You’ll solely use 1/4 cup right here, so select one that you simply’d prefer to have available—both for extra vodka sauce or for cocktails like an espresso martini or Bloody Mary. Our go-tos are Tito’s and Ketel One.
• Yellow onion and garlic – They offer the sauce savory depth of taste.
• Further-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the onion and garlic.
• Entire peeled tomatoes and tomato paste – They create the sauce’s flavorful tomato base. The entire peeled tomatoes add juicy sweetness, whereas the tomato paste thickens the sauce and provides intense umami taste.
• Heavy cream – It makes the sauce wealthy and creamy. For a dairy-free substitute, use cashew cream or your favourite store-bought plant-based different.
• Crushed purple pepper flakes  – They add a refined kick of warmth. Be happy to skip them in case you’re delicate to spice.
• Penne pasta – The traditional alternative for pairing with vodka sauce. Rigatoni or one other tube-shaped pasta would work properly right here too.
• Recent basil and/or parsley – For garnish. I really like the herbs’ freshness with the wealthy sauce.
• Parmesan cheese – For serving. It provides the pasta a scrumptious nutty end.
• And salt and pepper – To make all of the flavors pop!

Discover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.

The best way to Make Vodka Sauce

This vodka sauce recipe has 4 easy steps:

• Sauté
• Simmer
• Mix
• Add the cream

You’ll begin by sautéing the aromatics, the onion and garlic. As soon as they soften, add the purple pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook dinner, stirring, till the tomato paste darkens. Then, add the vodka and let it cook dinner down for 1 minute.

Subsequent, simmer the sauce. Add the canned tomatoes and stir to mix. Simmer the sauce over low warmth for 10 minutes to develop its taste.

Then, mix the tomato sauce. Permit it to chill barely earlier than transferring it to a blender and mixing till easy.

• Tip: This can be a good time to begin cooking the pasta! Reserve among the starchy pasta water earlier than you drain it.

Lastly, add the cream. Return the blended sauce to the skillet and pour within the cream, stirring over medium-low warmth to warmth it by means of.

Including the Pasta

End making this pasta by including the cooked penne to the sauce. Combine it into the sauce together with 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water, including extra as wanted to coat the pasta in a shiny sauce.

Season to style and serve!

What to Serve with Penne alla Vodka

You could possibly get pleasure from this pasta as a meal by itself, however it additionally pairs properly with a salad or veggie aspect dish. A easy inexperienced salad, Caesar salad, steamed broccoli, and roasted inexperienced beans would all be scrumptious sides for this recipe.

Spherical out the meal with garlic bread or crusty bread for sopping up any sauce left on the backside of your bowl.

The best way to Retailer and Reheat

Leftover penne alla vodka retains properly in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.

The sauce will thicken within the fridge. To get it creamy once more whenever you reheat, heat it over low warmth on the stovetop, including somewhat water or cream as wanted to loosen it. Make sure that to maintain the warmth on low—if it’s too excessive, the sauce can separate.

Extra Pasta Recipes to Attempt

In the event you love this recipe, strive one in every of these Italian pasta dishes subsequent:

Penne Alla Vodka

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook dinner Time: 25 minutes minutes

Complete Time: 30 minutes minutes

Serves 6 to eight

You need not go to a restaurant to get nice penne alla vodka—this recipe is simple to make at house! It stars a scrumptious home made vodka sauce that is creamy, silky, and filled with wealthy tomato taste. The entire thing comes collectively in beneath half-hour, so it is excellent for weeknights.

Cook dinner ModeForestall your display from going darkish

• Warmth the olive oil in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and a number of other grinds of pepper and cook dinner, stirring sometimes, for five to eight minutes, or till softened.

• Add the purple pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook dinner, stirring, for 3 minutes, or till the tomato paste darkens. Stir within the vodka and let it cook dinner down for 1 minute.

• Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices and stir to mix. Simmer over low warmth for 10 minutes.

• Permit the sauce to chill barely, then switch to a blender and mix till easy.

• In the meantime, cook dinner the pasta. Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. Put together the pasta based on the package deal directions, cooking till al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.

• Return the blended sauce to the skillet over medium-low warmth. Stir within the cream, adopted by ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the pasta and stir to coat, including extra pasta water as wanted to totally coat the pasta in a flippantly creamy, shiny sauce.

• Season to style and serve topped with recent herbs and Parmesan cheese.

*The vodka nonetheless retains a slight quantity of alcohol even after cooking. In the event you’re making this sauce for youths or people who find themselves avoiding alcohol, you might wish to omit it and exchange it with water, broth, or a tablespoon of vinegar.