Penne alla Vodka

Article by Layla Khoury-Hanold

Penne alla vodka is a classic Italian-American pasta dish in which penne is served with a rich, creamy tomato sauce with a signature reddish-pink color. While it might sound fancy, penne alla vodka is easy to make at home. And yes, there is vodka in it, but the alcohol cooks off and simply enhances the flavor of the tomatoes and balances the richness of the sauce. Ree Drummond’s take is a comfort food favorite that comes together in 25 minutes and is so simple, it’s bound to earn a spot in your regular weeknight dinner rotation. With Ree’s easy recipe, you’ll learn how to build a flavorful sauce, how to ensure a silky consistency and how to finish the dish for extra flavor.

How to Make Penne alla Vodka Like a Pro

Cook garlic and onions in butter and olive oil. Sauteeing the garlic and onions in a mixture of butter and olive oil helps render them mild and sweet.

Reduce the sauce before adding the tomato puree. After carefully adding the vodka to the onion-garlic mixture, reduce for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Reduce heat to low before adding the cream. Ensure your heat is low before you stir in the heavy cream to ensure a smooth, lump-free consistency.

Season to taste and add butter for a silky finish. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like it spicy) and salt and pepper to taste. Add butter for an extra glossy, silky finish.

Add the pasta to the pan to evenly distribute the sauce. Toss the cooked pasta in the pan with the vodka sauce to coat every noodle.

Finish with Parmesan and red pepper flakes for extra flavor. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan and more red pepper flakes if you like spicy penne alla vodka.

What is in Vodka Sauce?

Vodka sauce is a creamy tomato pasta sauce that is made with tomatoes, vodka, heavy cream and Parmesan. Ree Drummond’s vodka sauce is made with pureed tomatoes, but some recipes call for peeled tomatoes while others call for tomato paste, or a combination of the two for a more layered tomato flavor. The vodka enhances the flavor of the tomatoes and adds heat and a touch of acidity to balance the richness of the sauce and the overall flavor profile. There isn’t any alcohol or alcohol taste in vodka sauce since the alcohol cooks off. Vodka sauce can also contain onions and/or garlic sauteed in butter or olive oil, or a combination of the two, as Ree does in her recipe to add aromatics and a mild sweetness. Red pepper flakes can also be added to make spicy penne alla vodka.

Recipes with Vodka Pasta Sauce

Vodka pasta sauce can be paired with noodles of all kinds, but it can also be used in other comfort food leaning recipes such as Pizza Alla Vodka, Pizza Pot Pie alla Vodka, Tomatoey Beans alla Vodka and Rigatoni Pie alla Vodka.

Best Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is best with ridged pasta such as penne or rigatoni, but it also goes well with linguine or spaghetti, as with this One-Pot Spaghetti Alla Vodka.

What to Serve with Penne alla Vodka

Serve penne alla vodka with garlic bread, like Ree’s Garlic Cheese Bread, roasted veggies, like her Roasted Green Vegetable Medley, and a simple salad, like her Quick Italian Salad. Penne alla vodka can also be served with proteins such as chicken, sausage, pancetta, shrimp or mussels, like this Spaghetti Alla Vodka with Mussels.