Penne alla Vodka

Penne alla Vodka is penne pasta in a rich creamy slightly tangy tomato sauce with garlic, onions, crushed tomatoes and of course vodka.  It is one of our favorite pasta dishes and you will be pleasantly surprised how well it all comes together.  It is a hearty meal in itself but for a special Sunday meal or if company is coming I like to serve it with Italian Chopped Salad with Fresh Italian Dressing and Cheese Garlic Bread.

Fall is almost here and it with comes so much activity.  School is back in session, after school activities, school sports and all kinds of social festivities like weddings, picnics and festivals.  Sometimes it is hard to keep up!  This time of year pasta is one of our got to meals because of its ease. 

How to make Penne alla Vodka

Start by little butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Then add the onions and cook until soft stirring several times.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly.  Now reduce the heat to low and carefully add the vodka.  Next stir in the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.  Then let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes stirring several times.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain well. Once the sauce has simmered turn the heat to very low and add the cream and the parmesan cheese.  Finally add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh basil and a little more grated Parmesan Cheese.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Cook the pasta al dente and drain well.
• Vodka is flammable so be very careful when adding it to the pan.  Make sure to keep towels, loose clothing and your hair tied back.  Sometimes if the air seems heavy when I am cooking with alcohol I will turn off the heat, very carefully add it to the pan so it does not drip down the sides, give it a couple of minutes for the alcohol fumes to dissipate and then turn the heat back on.
• Use the best quality tomatoes you can find for this recipes.  You can use canned crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes and crush them yourselves.
• Pick up a wedge of Parmesan Cheese “Parmigiano Reggiano” and grate the cheese yourself.  That way you will get all the flavor without any of the fillers or anticaking agents.  I purchase a wedge from either Costco (that is a big wedge that I use for a while) or my local grocery store.
• Any medium pasta will work for this recipe like rigatoni, ziti, rotini, campanelle, or elbow macaroni.
• The sauce can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Do you want to add some protein?  Add cooked chicken, Italian sausage, crispy fried bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta.
• For added vegetables try mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Because of the heavy cream I do not recommend freezing this dish.

What are the best tomatoes for this dish?

My go to brands for canned tomatoes are Muir Glen and Cento San Marzano because of their outstanding quality however I know that they are not always available so chose a brand that you like.  I like to use the whole peeled tomatoes for this recipe and simply crush them with my hands.  You can always use sun ripened garden fresh tomatoes.  You will need to peel and seed them before you crush them but they are so incredibly flavor packed that it is well worth the effort.

More pasta recipes to try!

Penne alla Vodka Recipe

Penne alla Vodka is penne pasta in a rich creamy tomato sauce with sun ripened tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, vodka and fresh Parmesan Cheese.

5 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 744kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese plus more for garnish
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• fresh chopped basil or parsley

Instructions

• Melt the butter a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and cook 4-5 minutes or until soft; stirring several times.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper: cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low and carefully add the vodka.  Stir in the tomato paste and add the tomatoes crushing with your hands as you add them.  Simmer for 20 minutes stirring several times.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente according to the box instructions and drain well.  Reduce heat on the sauce to very low and add the cream and the parmesan cheese.  Add cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley and a little more grated Parmesan Cheese.

Notes

• Cook the pasta al dente and drain well.
• Vodka is flammable so be very careful when adding it to the pan.  Make sure to keep towels, loose clothing and your hair tied back.  Sometimes if the air seems heavy when I am cooking with alcohol I will turn off the heat, very carefully add it to the pan so it does not drip down the sides, give it a couple of minutes for the alcohol fumes to dissipate and then turn the heat back on.
• Use the best quality tomatoes you can find for this recipes.  You can use canned crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes and crush them yourselves.
• Pick up a wedge of Parmesan Cheese "Parmigiano Reggiano" and grate the cheese yourself.  That way you will get all the flavor without any of the fillers or anticaking agents.  I purchase a wedge from either Costco (that is a big wedge that I use for a while) or my local grocery store.
• Any medium pasta will work for this recipe like rigatoni, ziti, rotini, campanelle, or elbow macaroni.
• The sauce can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Do you want to add some protein?  Add cooked chicken, Italian sausage, crispy fried bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta.
• For added vegetables try mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Because of the heavy cream I do not recommend freezing this dish. 

Nutrition

Calories: 744kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1240IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!

On the hunt for more delicious recipes?  Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram