Penne alla Vodka

5 from 72 votes

My easy-to-make Penne alla Vodka is a rich creamy tomato sauce that takes pasta dishes to a whole other level of decadent deliciousness

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian - American

Servings:

Calories: 750kcal

1 lb penne pasta
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon shallots minced
½ cup tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
¼ cup vodka
16 oz San Marzano tomatoes - crushed a little more or a little less is okay, depending upon the size of the can or jar
⅔ cup heavy cream add an additional cream if you like a creamier sauce
⅔ cup Romano cheese grated - add more cheese if you want a cheesier sauce.
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon basil chopped
1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.
Drain the pasta well reserving ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
Melt the butter in a large skillet.
Add the garlic and shallots to the pan over medium-low heat. Although them to cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Stir as needed.
Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, mixing them in and continue cooking for an additional minute or two.
Remove the pan from the burner and add the vodka to the pan. Vodka can ignite with high heat.
*This is usually only a problem with gas heat, but it's better to be safe when adding any alcohol to a hot pan.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and mix well. Bring the sauce to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook the sauce for 10 minutes stirring the mixture occasionally.
Add the heavy cream and Romano cheese to the sauce and mix until smooth. Continue to simmer the sauce for 2 minutes.
*Don't let the sauce cook too long or the cheese will start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the basil to the sauce and reseason the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pasta to the sauce and add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to the sauce. If the sauce is too thick add more pasta water to the sauce.
Serve and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and additonal grated cheese.