Advertisement

Make our vodka pasta, also known as penne alla vodka, then check out our one-pan sausage pasta, penne arrabbiata, baked feta pasta, cheeseburger pasta, plenty more pasta recipes as well as our best passata recipes.


How to make the perfect vodka pasta: cook's tips

  • Only cook the garlic for a few seconds until fragrant or it will brown too much and add bitterness to the dish. You just want it to warm through until you can smell it.
  • A lot of vodka pasta recipes use tomato purée instead of passata, but we loved the freshness and acidity passata offers, and it also creates a silky, slurpable sauce that clings to the pasta well. You can use 5-6 tbsp of tomato purée with 200ml of water, if you prefer.
  • The alcohol will evaporate during cooking so is only added for an extra dimension of flavour.

How to serve vodka pasta: Serve in shallow pasta bowls, with an extra grating of parmesan and a few basil leaves.


Vodka pasta (penne alla vodka) recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 50ml vodka
  • 250ml passata
  • 150ml double cream or mascarpone
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 200g pasta tubes (we used rigatoni)
  • 25g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated, plus extra to serve
  • basil leaves, to serve

Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the butter or oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat, cook the garlic and chilli for a few seconds, then add the vodka and bubble for a minute. Add the passata and simmer for 10-15 mins or until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, the sugar and vinegar.

  • STEP 2

    Cook the pasta following pack instructions, and add a ladle of the pasta water to the tomato sauce, along with the cream. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring well. Add a little more of the pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Stir in the cheese until melted and season to taste. Serve with extra parmesan and a few basil leaves.

Discover more pasta recipes

Bowl of spaghetti with butternut squash sauce next to bowl of oil and glass of water

Authors

Anna Glover profile
Anna GloverSenior food editor

Goes well with

Advertisement

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 rating
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement