A running joke in my parents’ house growing up was that I was the “Carb Queen.” I’m now 27 years old (almost 28), and not a single thing has changed. Ten out of ten times, I will choose pasta or bread over any other item on the menu at the restaurant. I keep joking with my husband that it’s only a matter of time that I buy a roll of Pillsbury Honey Butter biscuits and bake and eat the whole tube for dinner.
This Penne alla Vodka pasta recipe is one of my favorites for that very reason. Its sauce (also called "pink sauce") is a delicious hybrid, in my opinion, of classic marinara and creamy, rich Alfredo. I posted a few photos of this dish to my Snapchat story this past week and was met with a unanimous “Please post this to your blog on Sunday!” as well as a few questions that I wanted to answer before we begin:
Does the sauce really have vodka in it? Yes, it does!
Why does it need vodka? A couple reasons: The “spiciness” of the vodka gives the sauce just a little bite to offset the sweetness of the tomato sauce and cream. Vodka also helps speed up the breaking-down-of-ingredients process, making the sauce flavors meld together beautifully and much quicker than, for example, a bolognese sauce that can take hours on the stove.
What if I don’t have vodka or don’t want to use it? No problem! A worthy substitute is the same amount of fresh water with a nice squeeze of lemon juice.
Can there be “issues” if you eat too much vodka sauce? Nope. The simmering process cooks out the alcohol content, leaving the zip of vodka flavor without any of the alcohol.
There are thousands of variations to this recipe, but this is the simplest and most delicious version that I’ve tried and tweaked to fit my preference. Two easy tricks that can really transform this dish are 1) using real garlic cloves, and 2) using fresh herbs. Neither ingredient is too expensive and can make a huge difference in the taste of the sauce!
There are a couple kitchen gadgets that can make some of these preparation processes easier, and I’ve linked them below! This post includes affiliate links to those tools for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you make a purchase. Trust me, I post links to only products I know and love and actually use in my own kitchen!
Finally, this recipe is traditionally made without meat (just the way I like it, personally). If you have family members who are needing some extra protein, don’t be afraid to throw in some meat. This sauce would be great with a pound of browned Italian sausage or grilled chicken or shrimp mixed in. Since I wanted mine plain, I browned some Italian sausage and let my husband sprinkle some on top of his own serving.
Alright Average Chefs, let’s get cooking!
Penne alla Vodka
Serves about 4
Estimated time, start to serve: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
12 to 16-oz. of penne pasta (any shape will do)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced: Using a garlic press like this one makes crushing the garlic effortless; this measurement is equal to about 2 tsp. pre-minced garlic from the jar
Sea salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it a little spicier!)
One 15-oz. can of crushed tomatoes; if you cannot find crushed tomatoes, diced is fine, but make sure you blend them up before using! If you leave them in the diced form, you will have more of a Tuscan sauce... still delicious, but not quite the same.
3 Tbsp. unflavored vodka: approximately the size of a single-serve “shooter”
Not using vodka? See the third frequently asked question in the writeup above.
¼-½ cup or so of salted pasta water, set aside after cooking the pasta (may not use, but good to have on hand, especially if you used all 16 oz. of pasta)
⅔ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. butter
½ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese, divided: Using a flat hand grater like this one with an actual block of parmesan cheese is a game-changer. (It also works great for the fine grating of garlic and chocolate or zesting citrus fruits.) Using freshly shredded parmesan cheese instead of the plastic shaker kind will keep the sauce velvety smooth instead of grainy
About 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped; a sprinkle of dried parsley works fine
Optional: Cooked meat of choice to toss into the sauce
Instructions:
1. Set a large pot of water to boil; add in the pasta and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook to “al dente” texture since the noodles will finish cooking in the sauce later on.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet with the olive oil on medium heat.
3. Sprinkle some salt onto the oil and add in the garlic. Stir around for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is reaches a slightly golden brown color; garlic can burn easily, so be careful! If you do burn it, I recommend just starting over.
4. If you couldn't find the "crushed" variety, blend your can of tomatoes until smooth. Either way, now is the time to pour the tomatoes into the skillet along with the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the vodka and bring the sauce up to a simmer, if it isn’t already. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Gently stir in the butter and cream and allow to cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Scoop pasta directly into the sauce and toss. If the pasta seems a little dry, add in the reserved pasta water little by little as needed. Sprinkle in more salt.
8. Sprinkle/grate in half of the parmesan cheese (¼ cup) and fold into the pasta. If you’re adding meat to the sauce, this is the time to do so. Turn off the heat and allow pasta to settle for 1 minute.
9. Sprinkle/grate in the rest of the parmesan cheese (¼ cup) on top, followed by the parsley for garnish.
10. Enjoy! I serve this dish with a tossed salad and breadsticks.
Crushing it in the kitchen? Take a photo of your Penne alla Vodka and tag @the.brass.spoon on Instagram to brag about your masterpiece!
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