More Ways To Use Vodka Sauce
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Ready in around 30 minutes, this penne alla vodka is one of my go-to pasta dinners when I’m looking for an easy-to-make recipe that more than delivers on flavor and comfort. Making homemade pasta sauce does require a bit more effort than opening a jar, but trust me—with this vodka sauce, it makes all the difference. After trying and testing this recipe again and again to perfect the bright, creamy sauce that coats every noodle, I’ve finally cracked the code to the best-ever vodka sauce.
What People Are Saying:
"I’ve never been a fan of vodka sauce but had a sudden craving for it when I ran into this recipe somewhere online. We thought we’d give this a shot since it seemed pretty simple and we had most of the ingredients at home. I’m so glad we did because this just became one of my new favorite recipes!" - PurpleSeahorse
"This sauce was absolutely delicious! Better than restaurant sauces. Everyone loved it including my kids! I come from an Italian food background with foodies and food snobs...this was a winner so glad I found the recipe!" - PurpleBattery
Ready to build some flavor? Let’s go! Start by gently cooking the shallot and garlic in butter, stirring often with a wooden spoon (better for scraping the pan later on), until softened and translucent but not browned. Use a large skillet or an enameled Dutch oven for this; I would avoid uncoated cast-iron, as it may react with the sauce, introducing off-flavors.
In go the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the paste coats the alliums and is starting to darken.
Now stir in the vodka, scraping up any browned bits, and remove the pot from the heat; we’ll get back to it in a minute!
Time to boil some pasta. Use a large pot and be sure to salt the water generously. When the pasta is al dente (meaning it’s still just a wee bit firm at the core), scoop out 2 cups of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
Okay, back to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and stir in 1/4 c. pasta water and the cream.
Sprinkle half of the Parmesan over and stir until melted and combined. Now turn off the heat and stir in the drained pasta and remaining Parmesan. If the pasta is looking a little dry, stir in more pasta water, a tablespoon at a time. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
If you end up not using all of your sauce, store it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, then reheat and add to freshly boiled pasta (or whatever you please).
unsalted butter
shallot, finely chopped
cloves garlic, finely chopped
tomato paste
crushed red pepper flakes
vodka
Kosher salt
tubed pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
heavy cream
finely grated Parmesan, divided, plus more for serving
Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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