Penne alla Vodka (restaurant-quality in 30 minutes!)
This penne alla vodka is my go-to when I want something easy, quick, yet restaurant-level delicious. I'll show you how to whip up this delicious, sophisticated sauce in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for the pasta
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, see notes
- ⅓ cup vodka
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan or grana padano, plus extra for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain the pasta, then put it back into the pot, drizzle it with some olive oil, and toss to coat.12 ounces penne
- While the pasta cooks, start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute more.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the tomatoes and their liquid to the skillet, breaking up the whole tomatoes by hand. Add the vodka to the tomato can, swish it around, then pour it into the sauce.28 ounce can whole tomatoes, ⅓ cup vodka
- Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated. Use an immersion blender (or transfer the sauce to a regular blender) and blend until it's mostly smooth. The sauce should be quite thick at this point. If it's not, simmer it a little longer.
- Add the whipping cream and parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper - I like about one teaspoon of salt. Add the pasta to the sauce and simmer for 1 minute.¾ cup whipping cream, ½ cup grated parmesan or grana padano, Salt and pepper
- Serve the pasta with extra parmesan and some fresh basil on top.Fresh basil
Notes
I love using San Marzano tomatoes in this recipe, but they are pricey. Regular whole tomatoes work, too, but you'll likely want to add a pinch of sugar as they tend to be more acidic.
Diced tomatoes aren't ideal for this recipe, although they will work in a pinch if you don't want to run to the grocery store. Diced tomatoes are treated with a chemical that prevents them from breaking down, but since you'll blend them, they will work here.
For the right consistency, make sure the sauce is quite thick before you add the whipping cream.
Try adding minced basil to the sauce - it's a tasty variation!
This is quite saucy, which is just how I love it. For a less saucy version, feel free to use up to 16 ounces of penne.
Serving: 1 = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 696kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 507mg, Potassium: 671mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1061IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 268mg, Iron: 3mg