Penne Alla Vodka

Creamy, luscious, and easy to make, this is the best penne alla vodka recipe! This lighter version skips the cream but still tastes decadent.

⏱ 30 min 🔨 Prep 5min 🔥 Cook 25min 📊 Medium 🍽 6 servings ⭐ 4.7 (21) 👁 5
Penne Alla Vodka

Ingredients

6 servings

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Measure the vodka and keep it near the stove.
  2. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once it is hot and shimmering, add the onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  3. Carefully add the vodka (be especially cautious if your stove has an open flame). Scrape with a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze the pan, then let the vodka cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring this sauce to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Adjust the heat as needed so that the sauce simmers gently so it continues to reduce but does not bubble aggressively. Let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and let simmer 5 minutes more.
  5. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in the boiling water to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and immediately add it to the sauce.
  6. Toss to coat the pasta, adding a bit of the pasta cooking liquid to loosen the sauce as needed. Stir in the Parmesan. Serve hot, sprinkled with basil or parsley.

Nutrition per serving

Protein14g
Carbs61g
Fat10g
464kcal
14gProtein
61gCarbs
10gFat

💰 Cost Estimate

Total Ingredients
$876.00
Per Serving
$146.00/serving
🏠 Savings
~$1752.00 vs buying!
📋 Price Breakdown (69% ingredients detected)
IngredientAmountSubtotal
vodka 0.75 cup -
extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp $21.00
yellow onion 1 large $50.00
kosher salt 0.5 tsp $1.00
ground black pepper 0.25 tsp $6.00
garlic 3 cloves $593.00
1 -
dried oregano 0.5 tsp $15.00
crushed red pepper flakes 0.25 tsp $1.00
whole wheat penne 1 lb $33.00
half-and-half 1 cup -
finely grated Parmesan 0.25 cup $156.00
Thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley - -

*Estimated market prices, may vary by region

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🍳

Penne Alla Vodka

Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup vodka
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion (diced)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced (about 1 tablespoon))
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb whole wheat penne (or similar whole wheat pasta)
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • Thinly sliced fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley

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