Penne with Vodka Sauce is tender pasta tossed in a creamy tomato sauce with crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, vodka, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: creamy tomato sauce with vodka and penne pasta
1poundpenne pastacooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water
2tablespoonsolive oil
0.5cupyellow onionminced
3clovesgarlicminced or pressed
.25teaspooncrushed red pepper flakesadd more if you like more heat
28ounce cancrushed tomatoes
1cupvodka
.75cupheavy creamor full-fat coconut milk - the kind in a can
.25cupfresh basilchopped
.25cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.
Add the tomatoes and vodka and bring almost to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low. and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Pour in the heavy cream (or coconut milk) and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the basil and Parmesan cheese.
Add drained penne and toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.
Notes
Do not use generic/cheap vodka, it has a bitter taste when it is used in cooking.
This dish is dairy-free if you use coconut milk. It is lactose-free if you add the Parmesan cheese.