Best 6 Pasta With Vodka Sauce Recipes
Pasta with vodka sauce is a creamy, tomato-based sauce that is tossed with pasta and typically includes pancetta, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, and vodka. The vodka burns off during cooking, leaving behind a subtle sweetness and a velvety texture. This dish is a popular choice for a quick and easy weeknight meal as it can be prepared in under 30 minutes.
This article features three different recipes for pasta with vodka sauce, each with its unique twist on the classic dish. The first recipe uses a traditional combination of pancetta, onion, and garlic, while the second recipe adds sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms for a more flavorful sauce. The third recipe is a vegetarian version that uses roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts instead of meat.
No matter which recipe you choose, you're sure to enjoy this delicious and versatile dish. Serve it with a side of crusty bread or a green salad for a complete meal.
PASTA IN VODKA CREAM SAUCE
Try step by step recipe for Pasta in Vodka Cream Sauce. Prepared with tomato, cream and vodka, this is an easy yet very delicious Pasta Sauce recipe. You can also make sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it for later use, add chicken or veggies for restaurant-style Pasta Dinner at home. Only 20 minutes Cook Time starting with made-from-scratch Tomato Sauce. The addition of few basic pantry ingredients, vegetables, vodka, and a splash of cream (okay - a generous splash of cream) transforms an humble tomato sauce into a much more luxurious Vodka Cream Sauce. You will love the flavors.This recipe for Vodka Sauce with cream is one of our family-favorite Pasta Sauce. No kidding! This is the reason, I shared Vodka Pasta on blog, (one of very initial recipe) 5 years ago. In-fact, there are many variations of Tomato Cream Sauce such as Pasta Penne Rosa, Masala Pasta that I have shared in these years.Recently, when I made pasta with this creamy vodka sauce again, I decided to revive this recipe. Today, I'm updating the pictures, description, improving the directions, and also adding additional details to make Marinara (the base tomato sauce for Vodka Pasta) Sauce from scratch.Original recipe called for using a good quality marinara/tomato sauce. When I don't have store-bought Marinara Sauce in-hand, I often reach for a can of plum tomatoes from pantry. This is one ingredient I always have in plenty. Really, there are endless list of recipes which needs Tomato Sauce. So, good Canned tomatoes gives me option to make a restaurant quality tomato sauce in minutes. Pasta Puttanesca, Pasta All Norma.. all need magic of Tomato Sauce. Note: I'm soon updating my all-purpose Marinara (Tomato Sauce). Check back again.Key Ingredients for a Tasty Vodka Sauce:Clearly, Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce.. the name says it all. The quintessential three ingredients which make a killer tasty Vodka Sauce are 1) Vodka, 2) A good quality Tomato Sauce, 3) Cream. You can pull a delicious family pasta dinner of Penne All Vodka if you have penne pasta and above three. Vodka Tomato Sauce:To make Tomato Sauce, I start by sauteing onion and garlic until onions are just soft. I use mixture of olive oil and butter for more flavor and rich creamy sauce. Once onions are soft, I cook aromatic for 1 minute before de-glazing pan with Vodka. It is important to cook-off alcohol in vodka before adding tomatoes. (about 3 minutes on medium high heat and onions are infused with delicious and subtle vodka flavor, plus alcohol is gone.) Next, I add pureed plum tomatoes. Pureeing tomatoes before adding to sauce saves time. I don't re-puree the sauce after it is cooked. I personally don't prefer the cooked pureed sauce because it muddles the color/shine/flavor of sauce, making it more soup-like. (If you don't like the onions in sauce, you can puree the sauce after cooking. In that case, you can even use whole crushed tomatoes and puree everything later).Once aromatics and tomatoes are cooked, the oil surfaces on top. This is the clear indication of a good, robust and delicious tomato sauce.Creamy Sauce:In my humble opinion, cream makes Vodka Sauce the Best Vodka Cream Sauce! My family will only eat pasta Vodka Sauce with cream. For silky, signature (restaurant-style) vodka sauce, cream is must have. It is even more important than vodka. :)I add cream and heat sauce very briefly until it thickens a bit and comes together. Cream makes sauce smooth, also mellow-down the flavor of tomato sauce. For best results, use good quality heavy cream (double cream). Note: Half and half (half cream, half whole milk) does good job too and make sauce bit lite.Make Vodka Sauce Ahead of TimeVodka Sauce can be made up-to 3-4 days ahead of time. Only make sure that ingredients used for the sauce were within freshness date. I'm specially referring to cream. Check the fresh date of cream or use following approach:1. Make-ahead Vodka Sauce up-to step 3 in directions. At this time, it will be a Tomato Vodka Sauce. Let it cool and come to room temperature. Pour in tight lid container, refrigerate until ready to use.2. When ready to use, Add back to pan (no more oil needed). Add heavy cream and heat until sauce is creamy. Use as desired.(If you plan to use Vodka Sauce within few days, and cream used is freshly bought. It is okay to even make complete sauce ahead of time and refrigerate.)Pasta for Vodka Cream SaucePasta with Vodka Cream Sauce is the best way to enjoy this homemade sauce. In pasta, I often use one that has groves to hold on to creamy sauce such as Penne or fold into creamy sauce such as Spaghetti. Bow Tie Pasta (used for this recipe when I shared first time, old picture below) also works well.Use of penne makes this recipe signature Penne All Vodka. Use of spaghetti makes this Spaghetti Marinara Cream Sauce Pasta! SO many options! (this is the magic of cooking at home). Add a serving of chicken or veggies and this pasta sauce will still be well received. I promise. Oh, I also recommend layering Vodka Cream Sauce in Lasagna, or use as base for Ratatouille (my personal favorites).Thank you for listening to this Home Chef. :)Save Time - Cook Pasta while Making Sauce:To make Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce, I cook pasta at the same time I'm making the sauce. This dual work saves me lot of time. By the time pasta cooks, the sauce is almost ready. It needs about 15-20 minutes to make this cream sauce for pasta. Most general pasta brands take 10-12 minutes to cook al-dente plus the water boiling time. (both done about the same time)Once pasta is cooked, add it to ready cream sauce with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil. (Reserve some pasta water to adjust consistency of sauce.)Note: Use a wide, deep saute pan to make sauce, so that you can assemble whole pasta dish in one pan. That's it!Vodka Cream Sauce Pasta is ready to devour! Enjoy! Leftovers are perfect to pack for lunch. (But in-case you enjoyed it all? :) I hope you save some Vodka Sauce because you will be craving "Vodka Cream Sauce Pasta" soon, again!)-Savita x
Provided by Savita
Categories Pasta Main Course
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cook Pasta: To boil pasta, bring pot of water to full boil and add generous amount of salt (approx. 1 tbsp). Boil pasta in this water until al-dente or cook pasta as per package directions (regular penne pasta takes about 11-12 minutes).
- In a wide, deep, heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp of butter. When butter melts, add diced onion, and garlic. Sweat onions in oil until they are just soft. (2 minutes. Don't let garlic/onion burn.) Add herbs, and chili flakes and continue cooking for 1 minute. Now add vodka and cook for 3 minutes so that alcohol evaporates leaving behind the flavor only. Add pureed tomatoes, with 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook covered for 7-8 minutes or until oil shows on top.
- To make Vodka Cream Sauce, add 1/2 cup heavy cream, and crushed black pepper. Mix well, taste and adjust salt. If sauce feels tart/need more creaminess, add few more tbsp heavy cream, cook with cream for 1-2 minute and then remove from heat.
- Add in cooked/drained pasta, all but 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese (leave 2 tbsp for garnish) and couple of tbsps of pasta water to sauce. Toss everything very gently. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and some remaining grated Parmesan Cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy easy Italian at home!!
PASTA ALLA VODKA
There's no need to order takeout from your neighborhood restaurant when this beloved, easy-to-assemble Italian-American classic gets dinner on the table in no time. Adding pancetta brings a salty smokiness, but if you leave it out, you're still in for a quick and flavorful dish. If you're feeling ambitious, the pasta is delightful with Caesar salad or garlic bread, but it's also satisfying enough to take centerstage. Put on some Puccini, open up a bottle of red and you're guaranteed a more relaxed dining experience than the one you might get at the local red-and-white checkered-tablecloth joint.
Provided by Colu Henry
Categories dinner, easy, quick, weeknight, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water). Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet or pot over medium. Add the pancetta, if using, and fry until crispy, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the vodka and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and then fill the can halfway with water and swish it around to loosen up any leftover tomatoes; add a quarter to half of the water to the pan. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. If you prefer your sauce a little looser, go ahead and add the remaining water and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more. Reduce heat to low, add the cream and cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes an even pinkish-rust color, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup cheese; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, top with additional cheese, if desired, and sprinkle with the oregano and parsley.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 562, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 71 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 15 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 691 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams
PASTA IN VODKA SAUCE
This is a simple, non-time-consuming recipe, but is delicious nonetheless.
Provided by Joelene Craver
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork
Yield 5
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and garlic in oil; stir until soft. Add prosciutto and vodka. Simmer until almost all liquid is gone.
- Add tomatoes, cayenne, and herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in half and half, and heat for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until done. Drain. Serve sauce over noodles.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 716.7 calories, Carbohydrate 83.5 g, Cholesterol 37.9 mg, Fat 26.2 g, Fiber 7.2 g, Protein 21.1 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 686.2 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta. Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the vodka, tomatoes and salt to taste. Return the skillet to medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until the alcohol cooks off, about 7 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and basil.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt. Serve topped with more parmesan and basil.
PASTA WITH VODKA SAUCE AND SAUSAGE
Steps:
- Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.
- Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving. Top with cheese and sprig of basil and serve immediately.
PASTA ALLA VODKA
Sit back and tuck into a big bowl of pasta alla vodka, a creamy tomato pasta with - as you can guess - vodka, which balances out the intense flavours
Provided by Esther Clark
Categories Dinner
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or casserole dish. Add the shallot and a large pinch of salt and gently fry over a low heat for 10 mins or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Stir through the tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then stir through the vodka and cook for 3 mins. Quickly stir through the cream to combine, then remove from the heat.
- Cook the pasta in salted water following pack instructions. Drain and reserve 150ml cooking water. Add roughly 50ml of the water to the tomato sauce, then tip in the pasta and cheese, tossing everything together over a low heat until well coated and glossy (loosen with a splash more of the cooking water if it's a little dry). Season to taste, then serve with a sprinkling of the extra parmesan, a good grinding of black pepper and the basil leaves scattered over the top.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 866 calories, Fat 43 grams fat, SaturatedFat 21 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 73 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 9 grams sugar, Fiber 9 grams fiber, Protein 20 grams protein, Sodium 0.4 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use high-quality vodka for the best flavor. Look for a smooth, unflavored vodka.
- Don't boil the vodka. Boiling will burn off the alcohol and ruin the flavor of the sauce.
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. If you can't find fresh tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes.
- Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until they are soft and fragrant. This will help to release their flavor.
- Add the vodka to the pan and cook until it reduces by half. This will help to concentrate the flavor of the vodka.
- Add the tomatoes, cream, and Parmesan cheese to the pan and simmer until the sauce is heated through.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta. Spaghetti, penne, and rigatoni are all good choices.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Conclusion:
Pasta with vodka sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make dish. It is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a special occasion. With its creamy, tomatoey sauce, this dish is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a new pasta recipe, give pasta with vodka sauce a try. You won't be disappointed!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
