This pasta with Homemade Vodka Sauce recipe is the perfect, delicious dinner to throw together with minimal time and effort. It takes less than 30 minutes to whip up, with just a handful of basic ingredients! It’s a favorite in my household and on regular rotation!
I love making this dish on busy weeknights when I want to get a substantial dinner on the table, but am exhausted after a long day.
How to make this Homemade Vodka Sauce Recipe?
Ingredients in our Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Tools you will need:
- large pot
- large skillet
- sharp knife
- colander
- wooden spoon
- measuring cup (We like these glass pyrex ones – perfect for reserving pasta water!)
Process
- First cook pasta in a large pot of well salted water to al dente doneness.
- Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. You’ll add this to the sauce.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and sauté shallots and garlic in some oil.
- Add tomato paste and stir together. You want the tomato paste to turn a deep red color.
- Deglaze pan with vodka and stir together for a few minutes.
- Stir in reserved pasta water and simmer sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in cream and simmer for a few minutes.
- Stir in grated Parmesan and butter until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add cooked pasta and toss together until well coated.
- Top with more Parmesan and serve!
What is the Best Pasta to Pair with this Vodka Sauce?
You can really use any type of pasta you want for this dish with great results, but some of our favorites are below!
Shaped Pasta
I like using a shaped pasta for this dish, specifically rotini, because I like how the small spirals pick up the sauce so well. Other great options are:
- penne
- bow tie
- cavatappi
- gemelli
- campanelle
- radiatori
Strand Pasta
If shaped pastas aren’t your favorite, I highly recommend fusilli col buco which is a great strand pasta that also picks up the sauce really well! Other great options are:
- bucatini
- mafalda
- tagliatelle
- capellini
- linguine
The most common Homemade Vodka Sauce questions
People often wonder if the addition of vodka is necessary, since only a small amount is used, and the answer is yes!
The vodka actually helps to balance out the tomato paste and heavy cream. It creates a subtle, peppery heat and almost herbaceous brightness to the sauce. It also wouldn’t be vodka sauce without it!
Although it wouldn’t technically be called vodka sauce, you can definitely make this recipe without the vodka.
You can use plain water to deglaze the pan instead or you can use water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it. It won’t give you quite the same peppery flavor or luscious texture vodka imparts, but it will help to bring out the acidity in the tomato paste and make the overall dish more savory without the addition of more salt.
It has a bright, creamy, slightly acidic and subtly peppery flavor.
Yes! 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.
Yes! 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.
Pasta with Homemade Vodka Sauce Variations
- Spinach or kale can be stirred into the sauce for a dose of leafy greens.
- Precooked shredded or chopped chicken can be added for some protein.
- Garbanzo or white beans can also be added for a vegetarian friendly protein.
- Herbs such as torn basil or thinly sliced chives can be stirred into the sauce for even more added flavor.
- Crushed red pepper flakes can be added to the dish to add a small kick.
I can’t stress enough how much I love quick and easy dishes, and this pasta with homemade vodka sauce recipe is such a great one! They’re the best kinds of recipes when you want to throw a great meal together in a short amount of time, with only a handful of ingredients!
If you also love quick, easy and delicious recipes, we have so many options on our site! Some of my absolute favorite are: Garlic Noodles, Romesco Sauce Rigatoni, Mongolian Beef, and our Cheesy Sweet Potato Fritters Enjoy!
Want a yummy salad to pair with our homemade vodka sauce? We’ve got you covered:
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The Best Homemade Vodka Sauce Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz dry rotini (or pasta shape of choice)
vodka sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅔ cup tomato paste
- 3 tbsp vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful salt to water and add pasta.
- Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and set both aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot add oil and sauté shallots and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, or until aromatics begin to slightly caramelize.
- Add tomato paste and stir together. Continue to stir until paste turns bright red,2 to 3 minutes.
- Deglaze skillet with vodka and stir together until vodka evaporates. Add reserved pasta water to skillet and stir together until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir cream into sauce until mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer together, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir 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.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss together until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with more grated Parmesan and black pepper.
NOTES
- The pasta can be cooked and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days. 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.
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How much water do you reserve? It just says some
Tim, in the actual recipe at the end of page it states in instruction #3 to reserve 1/2 cup.
Made this tonight to put on top of homemade gnocchi and it was perfect – i’ll never buy vodka sauce from a jar again in my life. easy directions to follow and simple ingredients to find as well.
My husband does not like cheese but I would like to make this sauce. What do you recommend subbing for the Parmesan to enhance the flavor?
You can use a little bit of nutritional yeast stirred into the sauce or just omit it. The sauce is still flavorful and delicious without it!
Incredible recipe!
Wow! I never knew vodka sauce was this fast and easy to make. I doubled the recipe for leftovers, but every single family member had seconds so we ended up eating it all for dinner! This is definitely going on our regular dinner rotation!
Made this the other night. It’s deceptively fast, easy and delicious. I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, but it’s also substitute friendly, I feel. I had no vodka (criminal surely) but used white wine vinegar instead. Served with some garlic basil toasted bread crumbs and basil chiffonade. It will definitely be going into my rotation for at least once a year. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I have tried this amazing vodka sauce recipe and i found this recipe really an amazing recipe. I really like this vodka sauce recipe. Even i have a special vodka sauce recipe as well.
Loved it! Going into rotation now!
Whoa, this is so easy! Who knew?? My picky teens scarfed this entire meal down! Thanks!!
This was delicious! No leftovers here! I added shrimp, baby spinach, and mushrooms to it. Family (2 teen boys and a husband) approved.
I have a question. Under your nutritional facts you have down 861 calories for a serving of 1 gram. 1 gram is 28.35 ounces. So does that mean that there is 861 calories for an ounce of this recipe? That doesn’t make sense. That has to be a typo.
Hi! Yes, that’s a typo for sure! The 861 calories is for 1 serving for the entire recipe (which is 3 servings). The info has been updated! Thanks for pointing that out!
Love this one!
Delicious and no fuss recipe
This is a great recipe. One to print and keep in the recipe box.
Great flavorful dish. My family enjoyed this easy to make dish for dinner.
I love vodka sauce so of course I made your’s and it is divine!
I love love love this recipe! It is the best vodka sauce!
I made this and love putting over chicken
thank you, have had a vodka sauce before, loved it but didn’t remember the recipe or even the sauce, so thank you for both! And for zucchini pasta for me if you don’t mind