This Easy Penne Alla Vodka is deliciously creamy. Its flavorful tomato-cream sauce with lots of Parmesan and a splash of vodka is so tasty and easy to put together.
If you love scrumptious pasta recipes, then you should try this pasta pomodoro and four-cheese ravioli.
Easy Penne Alla Vodka
This Penne Alla Vodka is richly flavored, creamy, and easy to prepare. Made with pungent garlic and onions, sweet tomatoes, and fresh basil, there are many parts to this delicious vodka sauce. It’s finished with the creamy, buttery, and nutty flavors of the other ingredients. This recipe is a snap to put together and is versatile enough to welcome additions and substitutions according to your tastes. You’re going to love how this dish turns out!
What you’ll need
For this Penne Alla Vodka, you’ll need Olive oil, Unsalted butter, Yellow onion (finely chopped), Garlic cloves (minced), Vodka, Pureed San Marzano tomatoes, Heavy whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, Penne pasta, Basil leaves, and Salt & Pepper.
How to Make Easy Penne Alla Vodka
- Heat the oil and butter. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and garlic. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pan and stir until the onion becomes translucent.
- Pour in the vodka. Bring the heat to high and add the vodka. Let it cook for about 1-2 minutes while stirring.
- Add the tomatoes and heavy cream. Now add the pureed tomatoes and heavy cream and let the sauce simmer over low heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Cook the penne. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta until al dente. Drain it, but don’t rinse it.
- Add the Parmesan and penne. Now turn off the heat and remove the sauce from the stove. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Season it with salt and pepper to your taste. Then garnish it with some chopped basil and some extra Parmesan and serve.
Can this be Made without Vodka?
If you prefer not to use vodka, it is possible, but the taste won’t be quite the same. Though the alcohol cooks off to a negligible amount, the vodka’s purpose in the sauce is to enhance and extract flavors from the tomatoes and sauce that would otherwise stay hidden. If you make this Penne Alla Vodka without the vodka, you will lose some of those flavors.
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Add meat- Italian sausage, meatballs, and chopped bacon add a lot of flavor to this Penne Alla Vodka.
- Add some fresh tomatoes- For more fresh notes and texture, add some diced fresh Roma tomatoes to this recipe.
- Make it allergy-friendly- For a dairy-free or vegan alternative, substitute for plant-based butter and cheese, and coconut milk for heavy cream. To make it gluten-free, use your favorite penne pasta GF alternative.
- Try different pasta- This tasty sauce can go with any type of pasta you have on hand, so enjoy it with rigatoni, ravioli, or linguine.
How to Store Penne Alla Vodka
The dish stores better if the sauce is separate from the penne. Store the vodka sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in quart-sized freezer bags for up to 6 months (make sure to leave some space at the top for expansion). To defrost, just leave it in the fridge overnight and warm it on the stovetop, adding fresh pasta before serving.
More Deliciously Easy Pasta recipes!
- Easy Pasta Primavera
- Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Rotini Pasta
- Pasta Pomodoro Recipe
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Lobster Ravioli
- Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
Full Recipe Instructions
Super Easy Penne Alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 28 oz canned puréed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 2 basil leaves chopped (for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the tomato vodka sauce
- In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Bring the butter and oil to medium-high heat.
- Then add 1/2 medium chopped yellow onion and 2 minced garlic cloves into the pan. Stir the garlic and onion until the onion becomes translucent.
- Then bring the heat to high and pour in 1/4 cup of vodka and let it cook out for about 1-2 minutes while stirring.
- Now add 28 oz of canned puréed San Marzano tomatoes and 1 cup heavy whipping cream. Let the sauce simmer over low heat for about 3-4 minutes.
Add parmesan and cooked penne
- In the meantime, cook 1 pound of penne pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it, but don’t rinse.
- Turn the heat off and remove the sauce from the cooktop. Then stir in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and add the cooked penne. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Then garnish with chopped basil and a little extra grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Add meat- Italian sausage, meatballs, and chopped bacon add a lot of flavor to this Penne Alla Vodka.
- Add some fresh tomatoes- For more fresh notes and texture, add some diced fresh Roma tomatoes to this recipe.
- Make it allergy-friendly-Â For a dairy-free or vegan alternative, substitute for plant-based butter and cheese, and coconut milk for heavy cream. To make it gluten-free, use your favorite penne pasta GF alternative.
- Try different pasta-Â This tasty sauce can go with any type of pasta you have on hand, so enjoy it with rigatoni, ravioli, or linguine.
Nutrition
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Nancy says
I’ve made this several times for dinner parties. It is amazing!
Dina says
Thank you Nancy! I am so glad you love this recipe 🙂
Kris says
can it be refrigerated overnight and warmed up the next day
Dina says
Hi Kris, yes you can! I would recommend reheating it on a pan on the cooktop for the best taste.