Easy Vodka Sauce Recipe
This easy vodka sauce recipe creates a luscious creamy sauce you’ll love putting on any pasta. Slightly spicy, sweet, and silky, this is restaurant quality sauce for penne alla vodka or other dishes!
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Whenever we go for Italian food, I love ordering anything and everything with vodka sauce!
It’s the absolute best.
But I don’t love heading out to eat and spending a pretty penny on pasta alla vodka (or anything else really for that matter) when I can make it at home for less money.
And it tastes just as delicious as restaurant vodka sauce, but for a fraction of the price.
Plus it’s not hard to make.
You only need a few ingredients and- bam- you’ve got vodka sauce!
What is special about vodka sauce?
Aside from the outstanding flavor and creamy texture, the vodka is what makes vodka sauce so special.
It allows the tomatoes to meld with the heavy cream seamlessly so you get a thick, rich sauce that is unlike plain tomato sauce.
What’s vodka sauce made out of?
There are a ton of variations out there but they all have vodka, tomatoes, and heavy cream.
Others, like my recipe, include butter, and seasonings.
Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Butter– Salted or unsalted.
- Vodka– Use whatever brand you like but make sure it is not the flavored vodka
- Red pepper flakes– This is optional but it brings a nice background of heat to the dish.
- Crushed tomatoes– If you can find San Marzano brand canned crushed tomatoes, I highly recommend using them. However, it’s not absolutely necessary.
- Dried basil
- Heavy cream– Do not substitute this for a lower fat product. You will loose the lovely richness and silkiness if you do.
- Parmesan cheese– Get a block of cheese and shred it yourself to keep it from clumping in the sauce.
How to Make
This sauce is so easy!
To do it, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the butter’s melted, whisk the vodka and crushed red pepper flakes into the skillet.
Bring the mixture to a simmer for 2-3 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
Then, pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet, and bring the sauce back to a simmer.
Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, whisking often, until it thickens slightly.
At this point, whisk the cream into the skillet, and continue simmering the sauce for another 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the cheese until the cheese has fully melted and incorporated into the vodka sauce.
Serve over pasta, and enjoy!
Storing leftover sauce
You can pour any extra sauce into mason jars while it’s still hot.
Then seal the jars with lids and rings,
It will be good in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Can I freeze vodka sauce?
Want to make this sauce to freeze?
Prepare the recipe as instructed up until the cream step.
Do not add the cream or cheese.
Then, freeze the cooled sauce.
When you are ready to enjoy, let the sauce thaw.
Then reheat on the stove and finish the recipe as instructed with the cream and cheese.
Can kids have vodka sauce?
Yes! The alcohol cooks off so they can safely eat it!
Tips and Tricks
- While you can use store bought shredded Parmesan cheese, the waxy coating used the keep it from clumping can lead to a grainy texture in your sauce once it’s melted. Freshly shredded will yield the best, smoothest results for your sauce.
- Sauce not thick enough for your liking? You can add a small amount of cornstarch slurry, and cook an additional few minutes over low heat until it thickens to your liking.
- You can skip the red pepper flakes all together if you don’t want the sauce to have any heat.
Other Easy Sauce Recipes
This easy vodka sauce recipe is a favorite for making penne alla vodka and other delicious, Italian recipes. Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other easy sauce recipes you can make right at home? Try these:
- Sweet Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
- Homemade Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
- Nonna’s Easy Homemade Basil Pesto
- Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
If you’ve tried this EASY VODKA SAUCE RECIPE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Easy Vodka Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter 4 tbsp
- 2/3 cup vodka
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- pinch dried basil
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter.
- Once the butter's melted add the vodka and crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet. Whisk together until evenly combined.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet, and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking often, until thickened slightly.
- Add the cream to the skillet, whisking to evenly combine, and continue simmering the sauce for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese has fully melted and incorporated into the vodka sauce.
- Serve over pasta, and enjoy!
Notes
- While you can use store bought shredded Parmesan cheese, the waxy coating used the keep it from clumping can lead to a grainy texture in your sauce once it's melted. Freshly shredded will yield the best, smoothest results for your sauce.
- Sauce not thick enough for your liking? You can add a small amount of cornstarch slurry, and cook an additional few minutes over low heat until it thickens to your liking.
- You can skip the red pepper flakes all together if you don't want the sauce to have any heat.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
