Penne alla vodka is a quick and easy vegetarian dinner meal.
This recipe is for you if you are looking for homemade comfort food prepared in less than 30 minutes.
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Penne alla vodka is such a popular dish in Italian restaurants, that you need to try it. I make it when I need a quick weeknight meal and I’m feeling uninspired in my kitchen.
This dish is ready within 25 mins. The vodka in this creamy tomato sauce enhances the texture and the flavors. So, let's make this pasta vodka sauce asap!
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What is Penne alla Vodka?
Penne alla Vodka is an Italian pasta dinner dish. The main ingredients are vodka, tomato, and cream.
The vodka acts as an emulsifier and therefore binds the oils and other sauce ingredients, which results in a creamy sauce.
The slight taste of vodka makes this dish also a favorite in most Italian food restaurants across the globe. Vodka alla Pasta is enhanced with Parmesan Cheese.
Ingredient Notes
This is a quick overview, designed to help you decide to make this for dinner. The full recipe is located further below in the recipe card.
- olive oil — alternatively vegetable oil
- onion — white, yellow, or purple
- garlic — fresh
- tomato sauce — plain
- Italian seasoning — or oregano
- cayenne pepper — ground or paprika
- black pepper and salt
- vodka
- table cream (aka liquid cream) or heavy cream or half-and-half
- penne pasta
- parmesan — grated to garnish
Process Overview
Step 1
Saute onion and garlic. Pour in tomato sauce.
Step 2
Stir in seasonings and vodka.
Combine your sauce.
Step 3
Finish the sauce with cream or half-and-half. Mix.
Mix sauce into cooked pasta and top with parmesan.
📖 Recipe
Penne alla Vodka Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion sliced
- 2 Pieces Garlic Cloves chopped
- 11.9 Fluid Ounces Tomato Sauce plain
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning or Oregano
- 1-2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Ground or Paprika
- Black Pepper Ground pinch
- Salt pinch
- ¼ Cup Vodka
- ¼ Cup Table Cream *see Notes
Pasta
- 1 Packet Penne Pasta = 8.8 ounce dried, cook pasta soft
To Garnish
- Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Heat up a pan with the olive oil and add the sliced onion and chopped garlic. Cook soft on medium heat.
- Pour in the plain tomato sauce and combine.
- Season with Italian seasoning or oregano, with cayenne pepper or paprika and combine.
- Simmer your sauce for 5 minutes, so that the flavors can develop.
- Season further with black pepper and salt. Also pour in the vodka and mix it all over medium to slow heat.
- Pour in liquid cream and combine too.
- Let the sauce simmer over a slower flame for a bit. Take from the heat when it starts to boil or else the vodka will evaporate.
- Pour sauce over cooked penne and combine.
- Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Notes
- Use liquid cream or heavy cream or half and half for the desired thickness of the sauce.
- You can add other ingredients to this recipe, look up variations in the post.
Nutrition
Variations
You can pep up your penne vodka sauce and call it your own by adding the following ingredients to the sauce during the cooking process:
- Cured meats such as pancetta, prosciutto and bacon
- Meats such as chicken, sausage and even meatballs
- Seafood including shrimp and salmon
- Mushrooms
- Vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, broccoli
- Saffron spice to make it yellow (popular in Italy)
- Red Pepper Flakes to add heat
Serving
I love this pasta dish with a salad to balance the carbs.
Light side dish salads prepared with lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and radish make a great addition to this penne sauce.
FAQs
The pasta sauce contains only small quantities of vodka. You won't get tipsy or drunk, the vodka is for flavor, and it helps to bind the sauce.
Yes, you can add this dish to your meal plan, or you can make it ahead of time. Just prepare the sauce as described and store it in the fridge. You can choose to cook the pasta ahead of time or to cook it just before serving time. Coat pasta with warmed up sauce and serve warm.
Yes, you can freeze your alla vodka pasta sauce. Prepare the sauce as per recipe and create batches before freezing so that you can take out a batch at a time whenever you need it. To thaw, keep in the fridge overnight or place into micro or oven and use the thawing option. Warm-up enough to serve over cooked pasta.
Yes. Occasionally, I just use what I have at home and it's equally tasty. Just know that some pasta varieties are recommended because of the way they are coated by the sauce.
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