This penne alla vodka is tender penne pasta tossed in a rich and delicious tomato, vodka and cream sauce. Add a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and you’ll have a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your own home.
I always order penne alla vodka at my local Italian restaurant. That creamy and flavorful sauce just can’t be beat! Luckily it’s super easy to make penne alla vodka – in 30 minutes you’ll have an amazing dinner on the table. Try this dish with some grilled chicken or grilled shrimp for added protein!
Penne alla vodka is one of those simple recipes that has minimal ingredients but is just so delicious and satisfying. My homemade version tastes just like the dish I get at our local Italian restaurant. The key to amazing penne alla vodka is to get the best quality ingredients that you can afford.
How do you make penne alla vodka?
The first step is to put your pasta up to boil, and while the pasta is cooking it’s time to make the sauce. I use penne pasta since that’s the traditional shape for this dish, but you can use other short pastas in a pinch such as rigatoni, rotini or cavatappi.
The vodka sauce starts with sauteed garlic, butter and tomato puree. I use canned San Marzano tomatoes in this recipe. They’re a type of Italian plum tomato and they have the best flavor of any type of canned tomato. If you can’t find a can of San Marzano tomatoes, use Italian style whole canned tomatoes instead. It’s definitely worth the extra money for the San Marzano variety.
Does vodka sauce have vodka in it?
Yes, vodka sauce does in fact contain vodka which is how it gets its name! The vodka adds a unique flavor to this dish, but it simmers for long enough that the alcohol boils off so there’s no danger of getting intoxicated from eating pasta!
Vodka sauce is enhanced with some heavy cream and plenty of parmesan cheese. Do not use the green can of parmesan cheese for this dish. Look for a high quality grated or shaved parmesan, or buy a block of it and grate it yourself.
The last step is to mix your pasta with the sauce, add some garnishes, then eat! I add more grated parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes and parsley to the top of my penne alla vodka. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, you can easily leave off the pepper flakes. The parsley adds great flavor and color, but fresh basil would also be a great choice.
Tips for penne alla vodka
- Make sure you let the sauce simmer for long enough so that the alcohol will cook off. If you don’t cook the sauce for long enough, you may end up with a harsh aftertaste from the alcohol.
- This dish is great as is, but you can add in other ingredients to make it your own such as Italian sausage, meatballs, zucchini, mushrooms or olives.
- You can make this sauce a day before you plan to use it. Simply reheat it on the stove while your pasta cooks, then toss everything together and serve.
This vodka sauce is so good that sometimes I skip the penne altogether and use ravioli or tortellini instead. You could even use this sauce in a lasagna but a fun twist on an old classic.
When you’re in the mood for Italian food, definitely give this penne alla vodka a try. You’ll be surprised at how authentic (and delicious) it is!
More great pasta recipes
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Cheeseburger Pasta
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for garnish if desired
- 28 ounce can Italian style or San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the tomato puree into the pan.
- Add the vodka to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
- Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer for another 5 minutes or until thickened. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional), then serve.
Prince Harming says
Perfection! Did this for guests recently .. One, a retired executive from a well known company, and both extensive world travelers. The first reaction was “O my god, this is it!” .. and the second was “Sublime… the best we’ve ever had!” This is now in the Master File. Thank you!!
Carolyn says
This was absolutely delicious! It tasted just like it was ordered from a five star Italian restaurant. I swapped out the vodka for water and the heavy cream for a dairy free alternative due to a dairy allergy in the family & set aside their portion before I added in the Parmesan. My husband, a very picky eater, said it was one of the best homemade meals he’s ever had! This is going to be a new staple in our home. Thank you so much for this quick and easy recipe!
Sadie Vermillion says
So easy and restaurant quality taste! I will be making this a lot!
Mumtahinah says
This is exactly how I wanted it to taste! I made some other vodka sauce recipe before and it was way too tart and weird. This was perfect even with substitutions (no Parmesan and replaced vodka with water). Thank you so much!
Dana DeLong says
Just made this, Yummy. I did a bit different, I sauted the garlic till brown. Then added some fire roasted tomatoes, then all the other ingredients. Very, very good. Thank you !!! Will make again.
Barbara Ricks says
Very simple and OH SO FLAVORFUL!!!! I garnished with fresh basil leaves. I made sure to use highest quality ingredients, and it really matters. Thank you for the recipe!
Grace J Mock says
I love vodka sauce, and there are no italian restaurants best me. I have made this dish several times now with some minor adjustments. First off I do not add any garlic or onion, I’m sensitive to them and used freshly grated black pepper instead of red. I also added some cooked bacon to the sauce as well as a bag of frozen peas. And I used way more parmesan cheese than the recipie called for but it comes out awesome every time. Makes plenty for my mom and I with lots of leftovers. Thank for sharing your recipe.
Sam says
This is one of the best vodka sauces I have ever made! Do you have recommendation/substitution when you can’t blend the tomatoes? Thank you!
Kc says
I used crushed tomatoes without blending them at all. The sauce will have a slightly different texture but still delicious!
Sean says
You can crush them by hand in a bowl.
Michelle v says
Delish! Will definitely make again
Judy says
This recipe is outstanding! So simple and delicious! I added shrimp and served with seared asparagus, my husband loved the dish as did I.
Karen says
Love this recipe . I added some jumbo shrimp and service over lobster ravioli. Deliciouso!
Margot says
My son made this tonight for us, his parents. I’ve never in my LIFE tasted such a delicious pasta sauce!
He used Lactose Free milk in place of heavy cream because that’s what he owned. I am quite curious as to what point can this sauce be frozen or canned!?!?
Sara says
You can freeze the sauce for 2 months but I haven’t tried canning it!
Marie says
This was wonderful. I cooked two hot Italian sausage links, put it in the mini chopper, and added it to the sauce. it was great. I have sauce left over & I don’t think that cream will freeze well, I’ll give it a try. My boyfriend loved it. Easy & quick. Thanks for sharing.
Laura Pinto says
Can you make this sauce night. Score and refrigerate?
Sara says
yes that should be fine!
Alicia says
How many adults does this recipe feed?
Sara says
This recipe serves 6 people!
Niki says
Was recently reminded of this recipe that l learned in ltaly in the 80s and have been hunting for a reminder recipe since. Have read dozens and been shocked by some of the ingredients and how ridiculously complicated some methods were. Yours is excellent, not over complicated and the closest to what l remember. The only thing l would do differently is use oil rather than butter to saute, although my northern ltalian friends would have insisted that if l were using cream, l should use butter. Thanks for the reminder of a wonderful sauce.
Arlin says
Does it matter what vodka brand I buy? Also if I wanted to add onions with the garlic how long should I cook it for? Thank you.
Sara says
Any brand of vodka that you would drink is fine, and you can cook the onions for 4-5 minutes!
Tammy Aronbayev says
The best meal I ever made thank you so much!
Joanne says
This was so simple to make and I had all ingredients at hand. Loved it and will make it often.