Josie and Nina never really wrote the family recipes down. They talked about them at the table. This spicy tomato vodka sauce came about in a more modern way. One night my nephew texted asking for my version, and after a little rifling through the pantry, this vodka sauce recipe was born. It’s creamy, with a bit of heat, and is a pasta sauce recipe that feels like it’s been passed down for generations, even though starting via a text.
My homemade vodka sauce is a little different from most in that it doesn’t use canned tomatoes or jarred sauce. Instead, I use tomato paste. There is less tomato in volume but I get a ton more flavor. Plus, the tomato paste, combined with cream and pasta water, creates a silky sauce that clings to the pasta.
Twirl it around some homemade pasta or serve it alongside tender Italian meatballs. This is a sauce equally at home for family-style dinners or when you need a quick weeknight meal.
Vodka’s role in tomato sauce
Vodka isn’t just for show in this sauce. It adds a subtle heat and helps the tomatoes and cream blend into one smooth, creamy orangey, red sauce (Serious Eats explains it best). Thanks to Gigi Hadid’s viral penne alla vodka, what used to feel like a restaurant dish is now a weeknight favorite in home kitchens everywhere.
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One more note. Vodka sauce isn’t tomato sauce and cream mixed together. That’s actually called pink sauce or rosa sauce which is typically equal parts of heavy cream mixed with tomato puree.
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Cream call-out
Light cream, which is sometimes called table cream, is the supporting player in this spicy vodka sauce. It’s an 18% cream and can be hard to find. Dean’s Light Cream is the one I buy. Look closely for it in your dairy section of your grocer or at Target.
How to make vodka sauce
Sauce tip
If the sauce needs loosening, add some pasta water a little at a time. I start by adding 1/4 cup at a time.
More ways to use vodka sauce
Spread this vodka sauce over a bun for the best chicken cutlet vodka sandwich. It also makes an amazing pizza sauce for pepperoni pizza.
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Spicy Tomato Vodka Sauce with Pancetta
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Ingredients
- ½ lb bowtie pasta, or rigatoni, penne or your favorite
- 1 cup reserved pasta water, from cooking pasta
- 3-4 oz diced pancetta, I typically find at Trader Joe's
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, about 2 Tablespoons
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 3 oz vodka
- 1 cup light cream, 18%, sometimes called table cream
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese , plus more for serving
- fresh basil
Instructions
For the pasta
- Cook pasta in generously salted boiling water (I use kosher salt) according to package directions until al dente.
- Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta in a colander. Set aside.
For the Vodka Sauce (while the pasta cooks)
- In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook pancetta for about 3-4 minutes until crispy, stirring periodically. Keep an eye on it as you don't want it to burn.
- When the pancetta is crispy, use a slotted spoon and remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter (you can also substitute olive oil) over medium heat. Saute the chopped shallot in the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until you smell it about 30 seconds.
- Swirl in the tomato paste, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Caramelize the tomato paste for a minute or two and then add the vodka to the pan. Cook for two minutes.
- Pour in the light cream and immediately lower the heat. Stir the sauce until the cream is combined and simmer the sauce to bring all the flavors together.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss the pasta in the sauce coating each piece. The sauce might be a little thick so now is the time to add in the pasta water to loosen it all up. I start with ¼ cup at a time.
- Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and stir. Top with some fresh basil and more parmesan. Serve immediately.
This was a super easy recipe and so so delicious. It was as good as a restaurant vodka sauce. I delivered it to my son after he had surgery and he loved it too!
Pasta and vodka sauce is the best comfort food 😊 so happy your son enjoyed it and hope he had a speedy recovery!