Description
Luxurious creamy vodka pasta brings Italian-inspired comfort straight to home kitchens with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. Silky sauce coats perfectly al dente noodles, delivering a restaurant-quality experience you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Base:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) penne pasta
Sauce Ingredients:
- 14 ounces (397 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) vodka
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Immerse pasta in generously salted boiling water, cooking until perfectly tender. Set aside 1/2 cup of starchy liquid before straining.
- Warm olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes until aromatic, approximately 60 seconds.
- Carefully introduce vodka to the skillet, allowing liquid to gently bubble and reduce for 2-3 minutes, eliminating harsh alcohol notes.
- Incorporate crushed tomatoes into the skillet, letting mixture simmer and develop rich flavors for 5-7 minutes. Slowly blend heavy cream until sauce becomes silky and uniform.
- Transfer cooked pasta directly into the velvety sauce. Fold in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil leaves. Adjust sauce consistency by gradually introducing reserved pasta water if needed, creating a luxurious coating for each pasta strand.
Notes
- Pasta Water Magic Always save some starchy pasta water to help sauce cling perfectly and adjust thickness without losing flavor intensity.
- Alcohol Burn-Off Let vodka simmer completely to remove sharp alcohol taste, creating a smoother, more refined sauce profile.
- Dairy-Free Swap Replace heavy cream with coconut cream or cashew cream for a plant-based version that maintains creamy texture.
- Spice Control Adjust red pepper flakes based on heat preference – start with less and add gradually to personalize flavor intensity.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg