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This easy penne alla vodka recipe is a restaurant-quality dish with a silky tomato cream sauce. It only takes 20 minutes to make, so it’s a perfect way to elevate busy weeknights!
Love these classic flavors? You might want to make my One Pan Gnocchi alla Vodka or Easy Pink Sauce Pasta next.
Why you’ll love it
Penne alla vodka is one of those recipes that seems super fancy, but in reality it only takes as long to cook the sauce as it does to boil the water for the pasta! It’s quick and easy, and you’ll appreciate how few ingredients you need for it.
The key to making creamy vodka sauce extra amazing is using tomato paste. It’s a total game changer. I’ve tried everything from fresh tomatoes to canned tomatoes, but nothing comes even close to the luxurious, velvety taste when using tomato paste.
Who invented penne alla vodka?
- I’ve read that the origin of it actually isn’t clear. Apparently, it was a popular dish in the early ’80s in Italy, and then it became a hit in America shortly thereafter. The dish’s invention has been attributed to multiple people, including a chef who worked for a vodka company!
What you’ll need
- Penne – this is the classic variety for this dish, but if you can’t find it, another similar sized shape will be fine
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – our flavorful aromatic base. I like sweet Vidalia onions best.
- Vodka – the signature flavor in the sauce. You don’t need to buy a premium one by any means, but I’d avoid the very cheapest too. Any clean and neutral brand will be fine. We like SKYY or Absolut.
- Tomato paste – it gives the best taste and consistency. I like a good-quality tube, not the canned kind. Try Mutti or DeLallo. It’s a vibrant and concentrated tomato flavor.
- Heavy cream – for that irresistible creaminess
Does vodka sauce taste like alcohol?
- Nope! The alcohol is actually cooked off, leaving behind an indescribably delicious and distinctive taste that plays well with the cream and tomato flavors. You’re definitely not going to get tipsy on this pasta dish.
How to make penne alla vodka
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the penne. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in butter and olive oil until softened, then add in the garlic, followed by the vodka. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds or so, and then stir in the tomato paste, then add the cream.
Stir until combined, and then let the vodka sauce warm through and thicken. Toss with the drained cooked penne. Before serving, add some fresh basil if desired, and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This garlic press makes mincing the garlic totally effortless, and I love how this butter dish has markings to measure the butter out.
- I use this skillet to make the sauce.
- If you’re topping this pasta with parmesan, grate it with a Microplane zester.
Pro tip
This recipe makes 4 reasonably sized servings. With that said, I know many people like to eat more than the suggested 2 ounces of dry pasta per person, which is the standard recommended portion size, so if you’ve got hungry bellies to feed and you’re not serving this with anything else, you may want to double the recipe.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream out for something like milk or half-and-half. The sauce will not be the same, and the acidity from the tomatoes is likely to separate/curdle it.
- As mentioned earlier in the blog post, I have experimented using fresh and canned tomatoes in penne vodka, but the best results by far are from tomato paste. If you’re really in a pinch, you could use either fresh or crushed canned tomatoes or tomato purée. You’ll need to cook the sauce down for longer, though, and it won’t have that smooth and creamy texture.
- I love penne alla vodka as-is, but you can always add some leftover Roast Chicken or rotisserie chicken to the sauce if you wish. I suggest adding it right near the end and letting it warm through.
- Want to make it spicy? Add in some crushed red pepper flakes.
What to serve with it
- You can’t go wrong topping it with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. My mom always put fresh basil in this dish, so I like to as well.
- It’s always a good idea to pair pasta with a side salad. Try some mixed greens with this Easy Italian Dressing, or make this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
- I’ll never say no to a slice of baguette or this Easy Garlic Bread recipe to round it all out!
Leftovers and storage
- This pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Don’t heat it up too quickly, or the sauce may break.
- Leftovers won’t freeze well because of the cream in the sauce, and the pasta won’t hold up either when thawed.
I hope you will love this easy penne vodka recipe! Questions, or did you make it? Let me know in the comments below. Tag me on Instagram if you made it.
The Best Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 small onion chopped finely
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup tomato paste see note
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh basil, sliced thin optional, to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste
Instructions
- Boil a generously salted pot of water for the penne and cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes or until softened (ok if it lightly browns).
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the vodka and let the sauce bubble for 30 seconds or so.
- Stir in the tomato paste until you've got a smooth mixture.
- Stir in the cream, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the sauce warm through. I find this sauce thickens up very quickly (within a couple minutes), but feel free to cook it a little longer to thicken it up even more.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed. Stir in the fresh basil if using. Toss with the drained pasta (if needed, thin the sauce out a bit with a splash of hot pasta water prior to draining it). Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for something like milk or half-and-half because the sauce is likely to curdle/get grainy, and it won’t be as thick or delicious.
- Use a good quality tomato paste! For this recipe, I prefer the kind sold in the tubes (like DeLallo and Mutti sell).
- This makes 4 reasonably-sized portions (not huge ones, and I suggest serving this recipe with something like a salad since it’s quite rich by itself). If you’re feeding hungry people who will eat more than 2 oz pasta each and no side dishes, I recommend doubling the recipe.
- I used a 10.25″ Le Creuset skillet to make this recipe (any skillet is fine).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on August 17, 2018. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Made this last night and again for lunch today because it was so delicious! Such an easy recipe with bold, delicious flavors. You can add a bit of chili pepper flake to tamper up the heat. Love it!
Your comment makes me so happy!! I’m really glad you like it so much. I’ve been wanting to make it again too haha. Soon!!
I have been looking for a Vodka sauce recipe to try & came across this one on Instagram. It was easy to make, and the directions were very clear/easy to follow! Not to mention, it was so delicious!! I took Natasha’s tips and added some rotisserie chicken I had leftover & the fresh basil – so good! I highly recommend this recipe & can’t wait to try more of hers!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!! Thanks for following along, Danielle!
I came across this recipe on Instagram, whilst I was patiently waiting for a pan of Penne to cook through, I didn’t have any other idea for it , except to stir some Pesto through it and to serve as a side dish for the BBQ.
It was a timely find, I had all the ingredients to hand and within a few minutes had turned the Penne into something quite different and remarkable to what we had ever tasted. The use of Vodka together with tomato paste and other ingredients turns this into a very rich, flavour packed dish, perfect to eat on its own or alongside other foods too.
It is so simple, to make, the receipt etched on my mind, it will be a regular on my menu now,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful dish !
I’m so happy you liked it, Christine!! That was timely haha. Thanks for leaving me a comment! XO
Great recipe – all around family pleaser and super easy to make. This one is going on my Pinterest board and my favorites list.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Katie!! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. ♥️
I am going to try this! Please add a “jump to the recipe” button to your pages. My reception is flaky, and scrolling down to it, I lose connection again and again. I really just want to see the ingredients and directions, not the step by step pictures. I do like your recipes! Carol in Texas
This has always sounded good to me, but I wonder what the vodka actually contributes to this dish. Has anybody made it without vodka or substituted dry white wine? Vodka is not cheap.
I wish I could describe what it adds, but trust me when I say it really does add something that I haven’t been able to replicate with just wine. Try buying one of those mini bottles – I see them in every liquor store near the counter if you don’t want to commit to a larger bottle.
Thanks for your reply and the suggestion. I did some research on my own and found a site where a chef had put the vodka question to a test. His conclusion was that on a molecular level, the vodka, which is flavor neutral on its own, acts as a flavor enhancer for the rest of the ingredients. One funny tale on how this dish came to be: A chef accidentally spilled some vodka in his tomato sauce and liked the results. That would lead anyone to wonder what a bottle of vodka was doing next to his sauce. Maybe he needed a little nip now and then.
Haha isn’t it fascinating?! I’m so curious for you to try it now. Let me know if you do! 🤗
Natasha, you’re really always killing the pasta game my goodness! Penne Alla Vodka is always a favorite and your version looks fantastic!
Thank you!!
One of my all time favorites! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Karly!! 🙂
Can you actually taste the vodka ?
It doesn’t taste like you’re tasting neat vodka, but it does add a lovely flavor. The strong taste cooks out.
Okay you know this was like my favourite dish when we were little. How have you not made this for me? Can you soon?
No.