I love pasta alla vodka because it’s incredibly simple to throw together, but it always feels a bit special. The vodka brings out some really incredible flavor in the tomato sauce, and makes it taste extra vibrant – all while the cream gives it a velvety, luxurious texture.

Because the sauce is so simple and creamy, I like to use fun pasta shapes that really stand out – in these photos, we used one of my all-time favorites, Paccheri. However, any short pasta will work, like penne or rigatoni!

My simple tomato sauce recipe works wonderfully here, but you can use 4 cups of any store-bought marinara as well. For that ultra velvety texture, make sure you blend your tomato sauce up with either an immersion or stand blender – it makes a world of difference.

Note that the time of this recipe includes making the tomato sauce from scratch – if you use store-bought marinara, the cooking time will only be about 25 minutes! Be sure to let the sauce simmer long enough to allow the vodka to really cook out. 

Giada's Pasta Alla Vodka

Serves: 

6 people

Cooking Level: Beginner

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour 10 minutes

Inactive Time

Total Time

1 hour 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth
• 1 cup vodka
• 2/3 cup heavy cream at room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound short pasta, such as penne, rigatoni or Paccheri

Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 2 32-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.
• For the Simple Tomato Sauce: In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce. If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 744kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 1129mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2726IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 5mg

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