Italian
Vodka Sauce Penne
Penne in a tomato sauce loosened with a splash of vodka and finished with cream. The alcohol cooks off.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Vodka is 1/4 cup, and it should simmer.
- Cream at the end.
- Do not scorch the tomato paste.
- Basil, not a pile of cheese, though cheese is welcome.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Boil the penne until just tender. Save 1/2 cup pasta water.
- 2
Cook garlic in oil until pale gold. Stir in tomato paste for 1 minute.
- 3
Add the vodka and simmer 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper flakes and simmer 8 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the cream, then the penne and enough pasta water to loosen the sauce. Finish with basil and Parmesan.
Pro tips
- If you skip the vodka, simmer the tomatoes 2 extra minutes. It will taste like a plain cream tomato sauce.
- Do not boil hard after the cream goes in.
- A pinch of pepper flake is the heat. Add more only if you know the table.
Easy substitutions
- Cream
- Half-and-half
- Penne
- Rigatoni
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm gently with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian
You might also like
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Chicken is tossed with hot sauce and folded into penne with a ranch-spiked cheese sauce and celery. The pasta tastes tangy, spicy, and rich, with the celery still crunchy.
40 min · Easy
View recipe
Classic Beef Bolognese
Ground beef simmers with soffritto, tomato, a splash of milk, and a little wine until the sauce turns thick. It tastes savory and rounded, with a gentle sweetness from the carrot and tomatoes.
1 hr 30 min · Medium
View recipe
Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Penne cooks in one pan with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach, then finishes with cream and parmesan. The skillet stays meatless, and a splash of broth is what loosens the sauce.
30 min · Easy
View recipe
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine is tossed with butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan until the sauce clings to every strand. It tastes rich, salty, and smooth, with black pepper on top.
28 min · Easy
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Roasted Red Pepper Farfalle
Blended roasted red peppers make a smooth pink sauce for bow-tie pasta with a little cream and garlic. It tastes bright and mildly sweet without long simmering.
30 min · Easy
View recipe
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs bake until they reach 160°F, then simmer in marinara while spaghetti boils. Each bowl gets noodles, sauce, and meatballs with some of the pot juices.
1 hr · Medium
View recipe
Tortellini Alfredo
Refrigerated cheese tortellini are tossed in a garlic cream sauce finished with Parmesan. The sauce is kept at a gentle simmer so it coats the rings without breaking.
25 min · Easy
View recipe
Turkey Bolognese Rigatoni
Ground turkey simmered with tomato, onion, and carrot into a thick sauce for rigatoni. It is lighter than beef but still hearty enough for dinner.
50 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.