Easy Vodka Sauce Recipe
Vodka sauce. You’ve probably heard of it, maybe you’ve ordered it in a restaurant, or bought it in a jar. But you haven’t had real vodka sauce (also called pink sauce) until you’ve tried my homemade vodka sauce recipe. Nothing compares to the rich, creamy sauce that my vodka sauce recipe yields, and it’s done in about 30 minutes, too.
Most of the vodka sauce cook time is inactive, meaning while the sauce simmers, you’ve got time to mix up a cocktail, or just put your feet up. For another creamy, tomato-y vegetarian pasta sauce, try Calabrian chili pasta or this simple three-Ingredient tomato sauce next. And if you need pasta ideas beyond penne alla vodka, this massive pasta recipe round up has you covered.
Easy Vodka Sauce Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are ideal, so it’s easy to keep vodka sauce ingredients on hand.
- Vodka: Yep, vodka sauce does have actual vodka in it. It mostly cooks out, though.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: You could use regular olive oil, if that’s all you have.
- Onion & garlic: Obviously a must for true Italian pasta sauce.
- Heavy cream: There are no good substitutes for cream here. Just go for it!
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is best by far.
- Pancetta: Pancetta is bacon’s Italian cousin; both are made of pork belly, but pancetta is cured while bacon is smoked. Pancetta can be harder to find than bacon, so if you can’t find it, it’s OK to use bacon. On the flip side, you could also use guanciale (cured pork cheek) which is even richer than pancetta, if you can find it.
How To Make Vodka Sauce
- Prep! Cut the pancetta (easier to do if it’s very cold) with a sharp knife and grate the Parmesan with a microplane grater.
- Brown the onions and pancetta (or bacon, in a pinch!) in a large saucepan. When the pancetta is crispy, add a little garlic. OK, actually, we want you to add a lot of garlic.
- Booze time! Pour in the vodka and tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you go. Now that the vodka’s open, maybe it’s time to mix up a martini?
- Simmer! Now that you’ve got the vodka pasta sauce going and that martini stirred, go take a load off. You’ve got 30 minutes to chill.
- Finish the sauce with a bunch of Parm, heavy cream, and salt to taste. Toss it with the pasta of your choice, and dig in.
How To Store Vodka Sauce + Tips
- Families with kids may be curious if the vodka cooks out as the sauce simmers. Exactly how alcoholic your vodka sauce is will depend on the proof of your vodka as well as how long you simmer your sauce for but generally vodka sauce is considered to be safe for kids. Every family will need to make their own choice here, though. FWIW, I let my kids have vodka sauce.
- Leftover vodka sauce will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- I do NOT recommend freezing homemade vodka sauce because of the pancetta, cheese and cream.
- Pasta with vodka sauce is one of the best, simplest meals ever. Serve it to company along with garlic bread and a big salad for a really cozy, simple Italian dinner that will really wow your friends.
Pasta Shapes To Serve With Vodka Sauce
- Homemade pappardelle: If you really want to go for broke, homemade pasta PLUS homemade sauce? I mean, who could argue with that?
- Gnocchi: You could even use cauliflower gnocchi for a more low-carb version of pasta ala vodka.
- Rigatoni: This is one of my favorites! The little ridges really hold onto the sauce, so every bite bursts with that rich, unique, pink sauce flavor.
- Cavatappi: This pasta has even more curly, ridge-y twists and turns, meaning it will really show off that creamy, rich sauce.
- Filled pastas: Make this meal heartier by serving the vodka sauce with filled pastas, like cheese ravioli or tortellini.
More Classic Pasta Sauce Recipes
Mambo Italiano!
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