Penne Alla Vodka
Our easy Penne alla Vodka recipe has the most delicious and creamy tomato sauce tossed with pasta and parmesan cheese. It's restaurant quality!
Servings: 4
Calories: 619kcal
Cost: 6
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup vodka (120g)
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes , undrained (San Marzano are best)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (114g)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (33g), plus extra for serving
- fresh basil leaves , for garnish
Instructions
- Vodka sauce: Add olive oil and butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and cook for several minutes until translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add vodka and cook until reduced by half.1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoon butter, 1 yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup vodka
- Use (clean) hands to crush the whole tomatoes right into the pot, and add the rest of the juice from the can. Add dried oregano and basil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.1 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, cook penne pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside.12 oz penne pasta
- Blend: Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to puree the sauce until smooth.
- Finish: Reduce pot to low heat. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 10 more minutes.Stir in cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Serve garnished with fresh chopped basil and extra parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.fresh basil leaves
Video
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Make the vodka sauce, but don’t add the pasta. Store the sauce and cooked pasta separately in the fridge. Add the sauce to a saucepan to rewarm and then stir in pasta.
Freezing Instructions: Make the sauce through step 4, before adding the cream or pasta. Allow the sauce to cool and then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or over low heat in a saucepan. Once warm in saucepan, add cream, cooked pasta, and cheese.
Penne noodles: sub any kind of of bite-size pasta for this recipe, or even whole wheat pasta.
Add Meat: chicken, prosciutto, bacon, shrimp, pancetta would all make delicious additions. Add meat (except for shrimp) in step 1, when sautéing the garlic. Shrimp should be added at the very end, since it cooks so quickly.
Vegan or dairy-free: substitute additional oil for the butter, omit the parmesan cheese, and substitute a vegan milk (almond, soy, etc.) and note that the sauce will be thinner.
Nutrition
Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe Link
Recipe Video
