Description
Indulgent creamy vodka pasta elevates weeknight dining with rich Italian-inspired flavors. Silky sauce and perfectly al dente noodles combine for a restaurant-quality experience you can easily craft in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) penne pasta
Proteins and Dairy:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese
Sauce and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) vodka
- 1 can (14 ounces/400 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook penne pasta until al dente, then drain thoroughly, reserving a small amount of pasta water.
- In a spacious skillet, warm olive oil over medium temperature and gently sauté chopped onions until translucent and softened.
- Introduce minced garlic and red chili flakes to the skillet, allowing their aromatic flavors to bloom for approximately 60 seconds.
- Carefully pour vodka into the skillet, allowing the liquid to gently simmer and reduce by half, concentrating its essence.
- Incorporate crushed tomatoes into the mixture, seasoning with salt and pepper, and let the sauce develop its rich flavors by simmering for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and slowly integrate heavy cream, stirring continuously to create a smooth, velvety sauce.
- Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce, ensuring each piece is luxuriously coated, and add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
- Generously sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over the pasta, creating a delicate, savory layer.
- Finish the dish with a flourish of freshly torn basil leaves and serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
- Choose high-quality penne with ridges to help sauce cling better and enhance overall flavor absorption.
- Allow vodka to simmer completely to eliminate raw alcohol taste while concentrating the sauce’s rich depth.
- Add heavy cream gradually and off direct heat to prevent sauce from splitting or becoming grainy.
- Swap heavy cream with coconut milk for dairy-free version or use gluten-free pasta for celiac-friendly alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg