🇮🇹 Italian · Pasta
🍝 Penne alla Vodka
Penne alla Vodka
Penne alla Vodka combines tomato and cream into a blush-pink sauce, with a splash of vodka that heightens the tomato's flavor without leaving any boozy taste behind.
A relatively modern addition to the Italian pasta canon, rising to popularity in the 1970s-80s, this dish relies on vodka to help release flavor compounds in the tomato that are only soluble in alcohol, resulting in a rounder, more complex sauce than tomato and cream alone.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot, Large skillet
- 400 g (14 oz) penne
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 400 g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) vodka
- 120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
- 50 g (⅔ cup) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the vodka and simmer for 2–3 minutes to cook off most of the alcohol, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt, simmering for 12–15 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the cream and simmer for another 3–4 minutes until the sauce turns a pale pink and silky.
- Drain the pasta and toss directly into the sauce, adding the Parmigiano and tossing to combine.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmigiano.
Chef Tips
- Simmering the vodka for a few minutes cooks off most of the harsh alcohol taste while retaining its flavor-enhancing effect.
- Add the cream at the end and avoid boiling it hard, to prevent the sauce from splitting.
- A touch of tomato paste can deepen the color and flavor if your tomatoes are on the milder side.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the vodka simmer time, leaving a harsh, boozy taste.
- Boiling the sauce hard after adding cream, which can cause it to separate.
- Using too little tomato, resulting in a sauce that's more cream than tomato.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of lycopene from the tomatoes.
- Best enjoyed in moderation given the cream and butter content.
Cultural Note
Despite feeling like a timeless classic, Penne alla Vodka is a 20th-century invention, and its exact origin is disputed between Italy and Italian-American kitchens in the United States.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, stirring, to avoid splitting the cream.
Serve with: Garlic bread, A simple green salad, Crusty bread