The Best Vodka Sauce Recipe
Directions
- 1Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
- 2Add a small handful salt to water and add pasta.
- 3Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
- 4Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and set both aside.
- 5Place a large skillet over medium heat.
- 6Once skillet is hot add oil and sauté shallots and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, or until aromatics begin to slightly caramelize.
- 7Add tomato paste and stir together.
- 8Continue to stir until paste turns bright red, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 9Deglaze skillet with vodka and stir together until vodka evaporates.
- 10Add reserved pasta water to skillet and stir together until smooth, about 1 minute.
- 11Season with salt and pepper.
- 12Stir cream into sauce until mixture is smooth.
- 13Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer together, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 14Stir in butter and Parmesan and continue to simmer until sauce is smooth, glossy and has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
- 15Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss together until fully coated.
- 16Season with salt and pepper.
- 17Serve with more grated Parmesan and black pepper.
Ingredients
- 5.33 oz dry rotini (or pasta shape of choice)
- 1.33 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.67 large shallot minced
- 1.33 garlic cloves minced
- 0.44 cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp vodka
- 0.67 cup heavy cream
- 1.33 tbsp unsalted butter
- 0.33 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
large potknifecutting boardlarge skilletcolanderwooden spoonliquid measuring cup
Tips
- The pasta can be cooked and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days ahead of time. The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and also stored in an airtight container (separate from the sauce) until ready to use.
- When ready to serve, pour sauce into a large saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir pasta into sauce and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes until pasta has heated through. Serve.
- The pasta can be made, stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator and stir into heated sauce until completely heated through.
- To freeze sauce ahead of time, make sauce until it's time to add cream. Cool completely, then store partially made sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw sauce in refrigerator. Heat sauce in a saucepan until heated through, then stir in cream and simmer. Adjust seasonings before adding pasta and tossing together. Simmer until heated through and serve.
- Get veggies into the sauce! Some of our favorites are spinach, kale, broccoli, and asparagus.
- Add protein! Precooked shredded or chopped chicken is one of our favorite things to add to the sauce. Garbanzo or white beans can also be added for a vegetarian friendly protein.
- Add herbs! I love adding some torn basil or thinly sliced chives to the sauce to change things up.
- Add heat by stirring some crushed red pepper flakes into the dish.
- Make a vodka free option! Water with a squeeze of lemon juice can replace the vodka. It won't give you quite the same peppery flavor, but it will help to bring out the acidity in the tomato paste.
- Use a shaped pasta like rotini, penne, bow tie, cavatappi, gemelli, campanelle, or radiatori.
- For strand pasta, fusilli col buco, bucatini, mafalda, tagliatelle, capellini, or linguine are good options.
- Add extra pasta water when serving if the sauce is too thick (when reheating).
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