Penne Alla Vodka Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is penne alla vodka sauce made of? ›

Vodka sauce is an Italian-American pasta sauce made up of a tomato base, vodka, herbs, and cream. It's rich, creamy, flavorful, and delicious served over your favorite pasta! And no, you won't get drunk and it doesn't taste like booze!

In cooking, especially in penne alla vodka, deglazing a pan with liquor has many powers. Wine works, too, but a clean-tasting vodka has mostly water and ethanol (a solvent), which is excellent at carrying aromatic compounds — like those in tomatoes.

We love serving penne alla vodka for pasta night alongside easy Italian-inspired sides. Our favorites are a fresh Caesar Salad or Caprese Salad, plus Focaccia Bread for soaking up the leftover sauce. Try these other tasty serving suggestions: Garlic Bread – Get that restaurant feeling with homemade Garlic Bread.

When you are making a vodka sauce for your pasta, break open a less expensive bottle of Smirnoff or Finladia grapefruit vodka. These more budget-friendly options will work just as well and no one will be able to tell the difference!

In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package directs. About 1 minute before you transfer pasta to sauce, add vodka to tomato sauce and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

In a vodka sauce, the vodka helps maintain a cohesive texture, allowing the creaminess to meld with the tomato base. And sure, you could use wine to the same effect, but in a sauce as rich as vodka sauce, it's better to use a small amount of alcohol that will impart as little of its own flavor as possible.

If you want to fix thin vodka sauce without altering the flavor, you can add some tomato paste. This will help thicken the sauce while maintaining its flavor. You can also add some grated cheese, such as Parmesan, which will not only thicken the sauce but also add some depth of flavor.

Penne alla vodka is nothing more than a tomato sauce laced with cream, vodka and hot pepper paste. It's used to dress a slant cut of pasta called penne (which means pen).

Vodka sauce also referred to as penne alla vodka, is a long-standing tradition in Italian culture. A sauce that began as a quick and affordable way to impress women has become a staple in Italian cuisine. The sauce is creamy, delicious, and unanimously loved by everyone who tastes it.

If you don't think ziti is all that dissimilar to penne, look again. Ziti is both shorter and thicker than it's quilled counterpart, and typically has a smooth exterior—though there are “rigate” variations on ziti.

What wine do you pair with penne alla vodka? ›

Wine Pairing

Pair this penne alla vodka with Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Chianti.

Based on some in-kitchen testing by J. Kenji López-Alt, the amount of vodka used is essential, and excessive amounts will overpower the sauce, adding bitterness, while just a splash may help deglaze your cookware but not unleash the aroma of the other ingredients fully.

If you can taste the vodka in the sauce, you've likely added too much, or perhaps you added it too late. The good news is that this is a simple fix. Just keep simmering the sauce to reduce the alcohol content. The more time you spend simmering the sauce, the less potent the vodka flavor will be.

Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. 4. Add in vodka and cook it until evaporated. This is where you'll cook off the alcohol content, so this recipe is completely safe for those who don't drink, are pregnant, or children.

Is penne alla vodka alcoholic? Technically yes, since we are adding alcohol. However, we are going to cook off most of that alcohol (if not all), and the final dish will have very little left once divided among 6 portions. No one will be getting tipsy from pasta alla vodka!

The Cast of Characters: Pasta, Vodka, Tomato Puree, Onion, Butter, Oliver Oil, Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Parmesan Cheese, and Heavy Cream. The classic Pasta alla Vodka actually uses Penne, but I'm a real rebel when it comes to using different pasta shapes.

Don't forget the key ingredient: vodka! With hardly any heat, vodka can change the entire flavor profile of the dish and give it an added kick to balance the creamy sauce. Vodka sauce is a relatively simple recipe that can be attempted at home!

Is vodka sauce a mix of marinara and alfredo? Marinara and alfredo mixed is referred to as pink sauce. While pink sauce and pink vodka sauce are both types of tomato sauce, they are not the same thing. Pink sauce is creamier and richer in taste as it is made with a lot more heavy cream.