Who’s up for another Italian-American classic? It’s pasta.
Pasta with tomato cream sauce was always one of my favorite things. Vodka sauce is basically the quintessential tomato cream sauce. It is in my mind anyway. I mean Penne alla Vodka is a hit for reason. And not to brag, but I think I’ve perfected this vodka sauce recipe.
The process I use to make my sauce makes my Penne alla Vodka something pretty special. First off, I cook down onions low and slow (for nearly an hour!) to develop flavor and sweetness. Garlic, tomato paste, and of course vodka all come into play here, too. Good quality San Marzano tomatoes are another major component of the sauce. The better the tomatoes, the better the sauce. Once the sauce cooks down to deliciousness, I like to puree it smooth before stirring in the cream. Yes cream. And lets not forget the cheese. This is an indulgent one.
Sometimes I wish it would rain cheese. Am I the only one who had that thought after looking at the previous picture? Maybe. Anyway, freshly grated parmigiano (not parmesan, please) and basil finish the dish off perfectly. There’s really not much else to say besides buon appetito.
Penne Alla Vodka
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Vodka sauce is basically the quintessential tomato cream sauce. Check out my Penne alla Vodka recipe for one of the best vodka sauce recipes out there.
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup vodka
- 1– 28 oz can whole peeled, San Marzano tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Whole small basil leaves or torn larger leaves, for garnish
- Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook onions: Warm a large sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add oil, followed by the onions, and season with salt. Maintain heat over low to medium-low, and cook until onions are sweet and caramelized with little to no color, about 40-60 minutes.
- Add garlic & vodka: Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté about 30 seconds; do not brown the garlic. Add tomato paste, increase heat to medium and sauté 5-7 mins, or until paste slightly deepens in color. Stir in vodka and reduce to about 1 tablespoon.
- Add tomatoes & cook: Stir in tomatoes, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook about 45-60 minutes, or until sauce is thickened and developed in flavor. Adjust seasoning, as needed.
- Blend: Transfer sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Return sauce to the pot. Stir in cream and taste again for seasoning.
- Cook pasta: While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste like salt water. After the sauce is ready, boil the pasta one minute short of al dente.
- Finish & serve: Add the pasta to the sauce pot and toss to coat. Garnish with basil and serve with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of pasta
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 304mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
This is one of my favourite pasta dishes…although I’ve not added vodka to mine before! I’ll have to do that next time.
This is one of my favorite pastas too! You should try it with the vodka! Even some dry white wine would be good.
It’s easier to sieve your canned tomatoes right into the pan instead of having to put them in a blender.
Hi Sally! Good question. It’s actually important to puree everything, so that the onions are also blended in too. That’s the only way to get it perfectly creamy.
This pasta look amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it………
Thanks, mom 🙂
Can’t remember when I last had some pasta….this looks droolworthy!
Thanks, Angie!!