In my opinion, penne alla vodka is the ultimate comfort food. It’s the classic take and what introduced me to vodka sauce.  Naturally gluten free, this sauce is easy to make and complex in flavor – my favorite combination. Although traditionally found paired with penne pasta, this sauce could be eaten with any type of your favorite pasta. Just wait though, this sauce doesn’t end there. Use it in lasagne, make a tie-dye pizza, dip focaccia in it, replace your classic marinara with vodka sauce for your chicken parm.

Although creamy and delicious, the acidity in the tomatoes really brightens up this sauce. Adding a bit of red pepper flakes really brings this vodka sauce alive. Perfect for eating with a big bowl of pasta on a cold night, but equally as fresh and delicious paired with a glass of wine, a few friends and a summer breeze. Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, this sauce is my absolute go-to. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Vodka Sauce

Ali Fagan

Creamy, dreamy and absolutely delicious, this is about to become your go-to pasta sauce.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 14 oz can tomato puree
• ½ cup vodka
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tspn red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• Dice the onion and finely mince the garlic cloves.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Once hot, add in the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to avoid any sticking or burning.
• Add in the tomato paste and mix in with your spoon or spatula. Keep mixing until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Once fragrant, add in the tomato puree. Using the can, fill it half way with water, trying to get any left behind puree, and also add the water to the skillet. Mix it all together to combine. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and it begins to thicken.
• Stir in the vodka and heavy cream. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes, this will cook out the alcohol in the sauce and thicken it. The sauce should easily coat the back of a spoon.
• Taste your sauce and season it with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Keyword creamy, dinner, Pasta, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, vodka sauce