Best Vodka Sauce Recipes

PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta. Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the vodka, tomatoes and salt to taste. Return the skillet to medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until the alcohol cooks off, about 7 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and basil.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt. Serve topped with more parmesan and basil.

PASTA WITH VODKA SAUCE AND SHRIMP

Steps:

• Place a large pot of water on the stove for pasta. Also put up a deep skillet for sauce and a nonstick skillet for shrimp.
• Gather your ingredients.
• Peel and finely chop the onion.
• In a large deep skillet, heat EVOO, a turn of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and when it foams add the onions. Stir to soften while you peel and chop the garlic. Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic to onions and season with salt. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste or about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Add vodka and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and tear in a few leaves of basil. Reduce heat and simmer sauce, 10 minutes.
• Season pasta water with a fat tablespoon of salt, add penne and cook 1 minute less than package directions, about 8 minutes. Have a mug or measuring cup on hand.
• Add shrimp to a medium bowl and toss with remaining garlic. Thinly slice a lemon and toss with shrimp.
• In the second skillet, heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high and melt in 2 tablespoons butter. Add the shrimp mixture and toss 2 to 3 minutes; shrimp should be pink and opaque. Add a splash of Pernod or vermouth, the remaining red pepper flakes, a little salt and parsley; toss. Turn off heat.
• Add cream to sauce and stir. Add shrimp to sauce, bring back to a bubble and turn off heat.
• Reserve about 1/2 cup of starchy salty water and drain pasta or transfer to sauce with a spider. Toss pasta with sauce and grated cheese, using water to loosen as necessary.
• Transfer pasta to large serving bowl or to individual shallow bowls to serve.

PENNE AND VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, and saute until lightly browned. Add vodka and stir until it is reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
• Stir in pasta, and heat through. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

EASY VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft. Pour in vodka and let cook for 10 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes.

BEST VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over high heat until the surface is very hot; add minced garlic and sear until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour vodka into the saucepan, taking care to avoid any flames that ignite from the alcohol meeting the hot surface of the pan. Quickly pour cream into pan to douse the flames and stir; add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat, and rest sauce long enough to let herbs flavor the sauce, 5 to 10 minutes.

VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook 2 chopped shallots in a skillet with 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 cups Perfect Marinara Sauce (see Cook's Note) and a pinch of red pepper flakes; heat through. Stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 1 to 2 tablespoons vodka; season with salt. Toss with penne.

CREAMY PINK VODKA SAUCE WITH PENNE

Steps:

• Put the olive oil into the pan and add the onions and garlic.
• Turn on the heat to medium-low and gently cook for a few minutes.
• Add the red pepper flakes cook 1 minute add crushed tomatoes.
• Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add the vodka and a pinch of salt and pepper simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Add the cream and lower the heat, add drained pasta and toss in parsley.
• Stir to coat well and grate a generous amount of parmesan into the pasta using our microplane grater.
• Serve immediately sprinkled with more parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

PASTA IN VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and garlic in oil; stir until soft. Add prosciutto and vodka. Simmer until almost all liquid is gone.
• Add tomatoes, cayenne, and herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in half and half, and heat for 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until done. Drain. Serve sauce over noodles.

VODKA SAUCE CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to broil. Place a wire rack inside each of 2 rimmed baking sheets.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally through the middle (like slicing a bagel) making 4 roughly equal pieces. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Put 1 chicken piece in the center of the plastic wrap and top with another sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
• To set up a standard breading station, mix the flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a second shallow dish. Place the breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.
• Dredge 1 piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess, then dip into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat it on both sides. Let the excess egg drip off, then press the chicken firmly into the breadcrumbs, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices. Return the chicken to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you will know the oil is ready if you drop a few breadcrumbs into the skillet and they immediately sizzle). Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden-brown and crisp and the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Transfer to the other prepared baking sheet. Make sure the oil is hot again before repeating with the remaining 2 pieces of chicken.
• Spread 1/4 cup vodka sauce onto each piece of chicken then top each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts and browns in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the remaining vodka sauce onto a serving platter and top with the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the parsley.

TOMATO VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt better with oil; add onion and saute for 8 minutes or until transparent.
• Add tomatoes and cook for 25 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet; stir frequently.
• Increase heat and add cream, vodka and red pepper flakes; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened to sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring sauce to a simmer and pour over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; serve.

CHEF JOHN'S PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook and stir bacon and rosemary sprig with olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until bacon renders its fat but is not crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour vodka into the skillet, standing back to avoid any flare-ups. Raise heat to high and continue to cook until the vodka reduces to about 2 tablespoons.
• Pour heavy cream into skillet, stir briefly, and add black pepper; bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until sauce has slightly reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix marinara sauce and water into cream mixture and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer sauce 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors.
• Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still chewy, about 10 minutes; drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over penne and stir to combine. Turn off heat, cover pot with a lid, and let stand 5 minutes for pasta to absorb sauce. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH VODKA SAUCE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.
• Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving. Top with cheese and sprig of basil and serve immediately.

PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juice, breaking tomatoes up with a wooden spoon.
• Stir in tomato paste, sugar, vodka, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in cream; cook just until heated through (do not boil).
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large (5-quart) pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pot.
• Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan.

LINGUINE WITH LOBSTER AND VODKA CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pasta dough: Create a mound of flour on a clean, flat work surface. Using your fingers, make a well in the center of the mound. Pour the eggs and egg yolks into the well; add the tarragon and 1 tablespoon water. Using a fork, whisk the eggs while incorporating the flour from the inside of the mound, working outward until the flour and eggs are combined. With the palms of your hands, knead the dough. If the dough seems dry and shaggy, dampen your hands with water and knead until the dough is moist but not wet. If it feels wet, add flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• For the vodka cream sauce: Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the shallot, sprinkle with salt, and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant but not burned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat before carefully adding the vodka and tomatoes. Then put the pan back over medium-high heat and simmer until the alcohol has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tarragon, basil and lemon zest. Then lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
• To make the linguine, remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Cut the dough into equal quarters and roll each into a small, thick log. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the logs of dough. Feed one piece of dough through a pasta roller set to the widest setting. Fold the dough into thirds and continue to rolling, adjusting the setting to achieve desired thickness. Cover with a thin towel and repeat with the remaining dough logs. Cut the sheets into the preferred noodle length.
• Switch the pasta roller to a linguine cutter. Feed each sheet through the cutter. Flour the noodles and then separate them, or hang them to dry to prevent sticking. Repeat with all of the pasta sheets.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the fresh pasta and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove the pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Turn off the heat and gently stir just to coat the noodles.
• For the lobster: Heat the oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lobster pieces, sprinkle with salt and cook until the lobster is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the lobster.
• Transfer the pasta to serving bowls, cover with a spoonful of sauce and top with the cooked lobster. Garnish with tarragon leaves and serve.

RIGATONI WITH EASY VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook onion and garlic, stirring constantly, just until onion is starting to brown around the edges, 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir to coat onion. Cook, stirring often, until paste is deep red and starting to brown and stick to the bottom of pot, 5-7 minutes. Add vodka, scraping up brown bits; reduce heat to low.
• Using a heatproof measuring glass, scoop out about ¼ cup boiling water from pot and add heavy cream. Stirring constantly, gradually pour cream mixture into onion mixture and cook, stirring, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat.
• Cook pasta in the pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. About 1 minute before pasta is done, scoop out 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Return Dutch oven to low heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to Dutch oven. Stir in 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add half of Parmesan, stirring constantly to melt. Pasta should be coated with a smooth, glossy sauce. Season with salt; add more pasta cooking liquid if sauce is too thick.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with basil and remaining Parmesan and drizzle with a little oil.

TOMATO-CREAM (VODKA) SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute; add vodka, bring to a simmer, and cook until mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Stir tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper with the garlic and vodka in the saucepan; bring to a boil and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
• Stir milk and butter together in a bowl until smooth; pour into tomato sauce and stir until the color is even.
• Place saucepan over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

CAPELLINI WITH SALMON AND LEMON-DILL-VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook onion in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (but not browned), about 6 minutes. Add broth, cream, vodka, and salt and boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dill, lemon zest and juice, and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce, then add salmon to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat until fish is just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• While fish is heating, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to pot, then toss with reserved sauce and cooking water. Serve pasta immediately with fish and sauce spooned over the top.

MAKEOVER PENNE WITH VODKA CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes and vodka. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, cook penne according to package directions., Stir the pesto, salt and pepper flakes into tomato mixture. In a small bowl, combine flour and cream until smooth; stir into pan. Add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drain penne; serve with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKE IN LEMON VODKA SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer pasta to a bowl; stir in butter.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Season chicken with 1 pinch Italian seasoning and black pepper; place in a baking dish.
• Broil chicken in the oven until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir sun-dried tomatoes and garlic until garlic is softened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir chicken broth and cornstarch together in a bowl until dissolved; stir into sun-dried tomato mixture. Mix artichoke heart juice, vodka, and lemon juice into chicken broth mixture; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in artichoke hearts, chicken, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, parsley, and oregano; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir pasta and 1/4 cup feta cheese into chicken-artichoke mixture and simmer until pasta is warmed and feta cheese is melted, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle mixture with remaining 1/4 cup feta cheese; stir.