This pasta with vodka sauce is easy to make and a step up from jarred sauce. It uses simple pantry ingredients you likely already have, including that bottle of vodka that's been sitting on your bar.
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Ingredients you'll need
Oil - We use olive oil to start the sauce, but use your favorite oil that's suitable for sautéing.
Dairy - Butter adds richness, and half-and-half or heavy cream gives the sauce its signature creamy finish. Freshly grated parmesan cheese finishes the dish.
Aromatics - Onion and garlic build the flavor base and give the sauce that homemade taste.
Pantry - Vodka adds depth to the sauce; use whatever you have on hand. Tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes form the base. Use regular or fire-roasted. For the pasta, penne is a classic choice because the sauce clings to the ridges and fills the tubes, but other medium tube-shaped pastas work well too.
Salt and optional garnish - Salt is used to season the pasta water. A pinch or two may be needed at the end to season the sauce. Optional garnishes include chopped parsley or basil, extra parmesan, and crushed red pepper for a little heat.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Prep work
The prep work for the meal is very easy. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, grate the parmesan cheese, and gather and measure out the remaining ingredients. Organize the prepped ingredients in glass nesting bowls for simple, stress-free cooking!
How to make pasta with vodka sauce
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until they start to soften.
- Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Carefully add the vodka and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce.
- Simmer the sauce to let the flavors develop and come together.
- Process the sauce in the pot using an immersion blender, or transfer it to a blender (see note below). An immersion blender, also called a stick blender, is a handy tool for blending sauces right in the pot.
- Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the half-and-half, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper (if using). Cook gently just until warmed through, do not let the sauce come to a boil.
Blending note
If using a blender to process the hot sauce, do not fill the blender more than halfway. Work in small batches. Remove the center piece (feeder cap) from the lid, place the lid back on, and cover with a clean, folded kitchen towel. Hold the towel firmly in place while blending. Start on low speed and increase gradually if needed.
Finish the dish
While the sauce cooks, prepare the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Be sure to salt the pasta water (1-2 tablespoons should do it). Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add any additional salt.
Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine, or serve the pasta topped with the sauce, either way works. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil, extra parmesan cheese, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Cook the pasta to al dente only. It will continue cooking after draining and once it's added to the hot sauce.
- Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining. Use it to loosen the sauce if it's too thick or to refresh the pasta if it dries out.
- Heat the sauce gently after adding the half-and-half or cream. Do not let it simmer or boil.
- Wait until the end to add salt. Canned tomatoes and parmesan already contain salt. Taste first and adjust as needed. If you're sensitive to salt, use low-sodium products.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with homemade garlic bread and a simple side salad for an easy, satisfying meal.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerator: Cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Transfer cooled pasta to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 2 months. Note: Cream-based sauces may separate slightly after thawing but will come back together when reheated gently.
Reheating: If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium to medium-low heat or in the microwave until heated through. Add a splash of water, broth, or milk to loosen the sauce if needed.
Food safety: Do not leave cooked food out for longer than 2 hours, or longer than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out our baked ziti with sausage, perfect for Sunday dinner. For quick and easy weeknight meals, try this ravioli bake or Italian sausage spaghetti.
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📖 Recipe
Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 small Onion diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup Vodka
- 1 (28 ounce) Can Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes (use regular canned diced tomatoes if you don't have fire roasted)
- 1 (15 ounce) Can Tomato Sauce
- ½ cup Half and Half
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated, plus some for serving (fresh grated is best)
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper plus extra for serving, if desired - leave it out if you don't like spicy
- 1-2 tablespoons Salt for the pasta water, plus extra if needed for the finished dish (we use kosher salt)
- 16 ounce Tube Shaped Pasta (penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc.) cooked to package directions for al-dente
- Fresh Parsley or Basil for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- When the butter is melted and foamy add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Carefully add the vodka to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce; stir to combine. Raise the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.
- When the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Keep the sauce at a simmer; if it's boiling too vigorously lower the heat a bit.
- Cook the vodka sauce for 20-25 minutes to develop the flavors. Stir occasionally.
- While the sauce cooks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the pasta water. Cook the pasta to package directions for al dente.
- Before draining the pasta reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water just in case it's needed to loosen the sauce. Drain the pasta completely and place it back in the pot, keep warm and reserve until the sauce is done.
- Take the sauce off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Process the vodka sauce in the pot with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a blender (see notes).
- Return the pot to low heat, stir in the half and half, parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir the vodka sauce to combine the ingredients well and cook gently to warm through - do not let the sauce come to a boil.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we did not add any extra salt to ours.
- Add the pasta to the vodka sauce and stir to combine, or serve the pasta and top with the sauce, depending on preference.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil, extra parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Chris
Turned out great.
Used crushed tomatoes instead of diced/whole to save the immersion blending step.
Elizabeth
That's a good idea! Happy you enjoyed it.