Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this luxurious penne alla vodka that delivers restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen. This creamy tomato sauce strikes the perfect balance between rich, velvety texture and bright tomato flavor, enhanced by the subtle complexity that vodka brings to the dish. With tender penne pasta, crispy prosciutto, and a silky sauce that clings beautifully to every bite, this recipe proves that exceptional Italian cuisine doesn’t require hours in the kitchen.
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Table of Contents
Why this is the best recipe for vodka sauce
The magic of exceptional vodka sauce lies in understanding each ingredient’s role. The vodka acts as an emulsifier, helping to bind the oil-based and water-based components into a silky, cohesive sauce that won’t separate. It also enhances the sweetness of the tomatoes while adding a subtle complexity that you can’t quite identify but taste. The cream provides richness and body, while the prosciutto adds depth and a hint of saltiness that elevates the entire dish.
Ingredients for the best penne alla vodka recipe
The sauce for the best penne alla vodka recipe can be made in about 20 minutes—just enough time to make the penne. You can save the sauce for multiple meals.
For the Vodka Sauce:
- Fresh garlic cloves – Provide aromatic foundation and sharp, pungent flavor essential to Italian cooking
- White onion – Offers natural sweetness and mild flavor that won’t overpower the delicate sauce
- Prosciutto – Adds savory depth and subtle saltiness; creates crispy texture contrast
- Extra virgin olive oil РForms the flavor base and helps saut̩ aromatics to perfection
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Provide gentle heat and aromatic complexity
- Chopped canned tomatoes – Contribute fresh tomato flavor and chunky texture
- Tomato sauce – Creates smooth base and intensifies tomato character
- Heavy whipping cream – Delivers rich, velvety texture and balances acidity
- Vodka – Acts as an emulsifier and enhances tomato sweetness while adding subtle complexity
- Tomato paste – Intensifies tomato flavor and helps thicken the sauce naturally
For Assembly:
- Penne pasta – Perfect shape for catching and holding the creamy sauce
- Parmesan cheese – Adds nutty, sharp flavor; always use freshly grated for best results
- Fresh basil – Provides aromatic finish and bright color contrast
How to make penne alla vodka
When you read the directions for this recipe, it might seem a little complicated, but it is pretty simple. The result of this recipe is going to be a creamy tomato sauce you are going to love. Here are the steps:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add chopped garlic and onions to the pan.
- Sauté chopped garlic and onions until the onions are almost translucent.
- Add chopped prosciutto and crushed red pepper.
- Sauté until the prosciutto is slightly crisped.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt.
- Cook for a few minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add in cream and mix thoroughly.
- Add in vodka and cook for 5 minutes. Allow time for the alcohol to cook off.
- To serve, pour the sauce over the cooked pasta.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese (we love parmigiano-reggiano) and fresh parsley if desired.
Watch the video in the recipe card to see how easy it is to make Vodka Sauce!
Tips for making this penne alla vodka recipe
- You can use bacon or sausage if you don’t have prosciutto.
- To thicken the sauce, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste (see more suggestions below).
- If you don’t have penne pasta, other types of pasta will work just fine!
- Substitutes for vodka include water, apple cider, or white grape juice mixed with lime juice.
What to serve with penne alla vodka
- Caesar salad or other side salad
- Homemade garlic bread
- A glass of red wine
Vodka is a key ingredient in this recipe. It acts as an emulsifier for the water and oil in the sauce, allowing the sauce to combine well and not separate. It helps with the sweetness of the tomatoes and also gives the sauce the creamy consistency you are going to love.
Since vodka is essentially flavorless, its main purpose is to enhance the composition of the dish rather than add flavor.
No, you cannot! There is not much vodka in this dish to impair you. Plus, during the sauce’s cooking process, the alcohol will evaporate out of the dish when it is heated.
Making this recipe won’t get you tipsy, but the vodka will add great flavor. If you have concerns about alcohol evaporation in cooking and baking, please read about it.
If you would rather avoid using vodka, you can substitute it for something else. But you need to add another liquid. Do not just omit the vodka from the sauce.
I would suggest using either water, apple cider, or white grape juice with a hint of lime juice mixed into the juice to add a little extra flavor.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store sauce and pasta separately in airtight containers for up to 5 days. This prevents the pasta from absorbing sauce and becoming mushy.
- Reheating Method: Gently heat the sauce in a small pot over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cream if needed to restore consistency. Toss with the reheated pasta just before serving.
- Freezing: The sauce freezes well for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not freeze the assembled pasta dish.
Best Penne alla Vodka – Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 4 ounces prosciutto you can use bacon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 14 ounces chopped tomatoes 1 can
- 14 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste – if desired to make thicker
Instructions
- Cook the penne according to the package instructions in a large pot of water, make sure you use the al dente directions. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium low.
- Add chopped garlic and onions to the pan. Be careful not to let the garlic to burn.
- Sauté garlic and chopped onions until the onions are almost translucent.
- Add chopped prosciutto and crushed red pepper to the pan.
- Sauté until the prosciutto is cooked and slightly crisped.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt.
- Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes stirring from time to time.
- Add in cream and mix thoroughly.
- Add in 1/2 cup of vodka and cook for about five minutes.
- To serve, mix the sauce and pasta together.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have prosciutto, you can also use bacon or even sausage.
- To make the sauce thicker, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.
- We make this with penne pasta but another type of pasta will work just fine!
- Substitutes for vodka include water, apple cider, or white grape juice mixed with lime juice.
Nutrition
Love Pasta? Try these recipes!
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- Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe
- Olive Garden Tuscan Soup Recipe
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Check out my easy pasta recipes and the best Italian recipes here on CopyKat!
This is similar to how I make it! After my favorite restaurant closed, one of their sous chefs graciously gave me the recipe. The only differences are that I take 2 carrots, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 cup mushrooms and blend them to a pulp and saute them in with the prosciutto until most of the moisture has evaporated, then stir in the vodka, tomatoes, and seasonings, and I used whole canned tomatoes, blending everything together with a hand mixer after it’s simmered for awhile. I never would have guessed those ingredients were in there but it makes the sauce so hearty and gives it a depth that takes it to the next level!
My favourite pasta sauce is probably Carbonara… not really a sauce as much as a coating, but this vodka sauce looks great!
I think I am with you on loving Carbonara sauce. I love these easy pasta sauces. It makes dinner happen quickly.
What is your favorite type of pasta sauce?