Penne alla vodka is a creamy pasta dish made with vodka, tomatoes, and usually heavy cream. It isn’t quite everyone’s favorite pasta dish, but it’s pretty darn close.
It’s certainly one of my all-time favorites. You just can’t go wrong with light pink pasta sauces. Whenever I see it on a menu, I tend to order it, no matter what other tempting options there are.
Growing up, penne alla vodka was a major treat. It was a dish I usually saw in a chafing dish at a restaurant or party, because we rarely made it at home. My sister and I were the big pasta cooks in our house, and being underage at the time, we weren’t even cooking with wine, let alone distilled alcohol!
That said, the alcohol in this recipe cooks off, and there’s no harsh alcohol flavor. All you’re left with is a deliciously creamy, rich sauce.
I like to crisp up sausage in a pan and add it to my version. It adds an extra layer of flavor and texture to this penne alla vodka recipe. Set aside a bit of your sausage to garnish the pasta with, so your dining companions can see what’s in it!
How to Make Penne alla Vodka: Recipe Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.
In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sausage until browned and crispy, breaking it up into smaller chunks.
Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Place the skillet back over medium heat, and add the butter, garlic, and onions. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
Carefully add the vodka (if your stove has an open flame, you can turn it off before adding it to prevent flare-ups), and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer once again.
Turn down the heat to low. When the mixture stops bubbling, add the heavy cream, black pepper, and salt to taste.
Stir in the cooked sausage (reserve some sausage for topping if you like), cooked pasta and parmesan cheese…
And serve with plenty of additional parmesan for garnish.
Penne Alla Vodka with Crispy Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried penne
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage (about 4 links, casings removed)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion (finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ½ cup vodka
- 1 15 oz. can tomato puree or tomato sauce
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sausage until browned and crispy, breaking it up into smaller chunks. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Place the skillet back over medium heat, and add the butter, garlic, and onions. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
- Carefully add the vodka (if your stove has an open flame, you can turn it off before adding it to prevent flare-ups), and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer once again. Turn down the heat to low. When the mixture stops bubbling, add the heavy cream, black pepper, and salt to taste.
- Stir in the cooked sausage (reserve some sausage for topping if you like), cooked pasta and parmesan cheese, and serve with plenty of additional parmesan for garnish.
Nutrition
okiegirl says
Whoa, this was so much better than I expected. Loved it. I did add some fresh spinach at the end (because I can’t miss an opportunity to add some greens to something!) and it was fabulous. I’ll be making this again for sure.
Something I don’t think I’ve ever disclosed to you is that I make your recipes and “barter” them with a neighbor. My neighbor is a landscape designer but literally doesn’t know a skillet from a saucepan. Your recipes make more than I can eat before they go bad. So . . . I regularly take him meals and in turn he trims my shrubs, plants things in my yard, etc. Win-Win! AND you get 5 stars from both of us!
Sarah says
Hahaha, wow, i LOVE that story, okiegirl! Sounds like a total win-win situation. I should figure out how to barter all the leftover food we make on blogging days!
So glad you enjoyed this penne alla vodka––I’m totally with you on adding greens. Great idea. :)
Jeremy says
One of the best ways to bring the most flavor out of tomatoes is to use alcohol (vodka and wine) because most of the flavor compounds in tomatoes are mostly alcohol soluble. Science aside, one of my favorite memories of going to visit my family as a kid in Staten Island was the home made vodka sauce!
I cannot wait to try out this recipe!
Sarah says
Thanks for explaining that bit of food science Jeremy! I hope you like this penne vodka recipe and that it lives up to those Staten Island versions! We’re close-by in Jersey. :)
Jeremy says
I just finished it up and it was delicious! Thanks for yet another great recipe!
Off topic:
I printed out the TWOL cookbook and it is my goal to make every recipe in it before the end of the summer.
Cheers!
Sarah says
You’re welcome, Jeremy!! We hope you enjoy those cookbook recipes. Keep us posted on how you’re progressing through the summer. :)
okiegirl says
Thank you for that tidbit, Jeremy! You’re the next Alton Brown!
Barbara Morgan says
Is there I substitute I can use for the heavy cream in the Penne Ala Vodka recipe? I know the flavor will be compromised but I have an aversion to dairy with pork. Thanks for your help.
Jeremy says
I would suggest using a chicken stock thickened with a roux or a corn starch slurry with more butter added.
Sarah says
Thanks for the tip, Jeremy!
Sarah says
Hi Barbara, Jeremy’s suggestion works if you’d like to thicken and lighten the sauce without dairy.
Cesar says
If “dairy” is the problem, you can try this “Ambiante non-dairy cream”, non-dairy at all, no sweet. Outside USA I’ve tried “Hopla” Italian brand successfully.