The first time I tried penne alla vodka was at Villa O in Dallas, Texas. It was the most amazing pasta sauce I had ever tasted – I was hooked at that very moment… Honestly, every single time I go back there it is the only thing I order off their menu (even at brunch)!
Then I realized, vodka sauce is super easy to make at home and only takes about 30 minutes!! It has become my easy to make dinner after work and I am excited to share this recipe with all of you today!
So what the heck is even in vodka sauce?? It’s actually very basic – marinara sauce, vodka, and cream. That is pretty much it. You let the vodka cook into the sauce giving the dish a nice crisp taste along with the sweetness of the cream! For those of you that like it spicy, add a dash of red pepper to the sauce and you have yourself a naughty little pasta dish!
In honor of the 2015 Masters today, I had to include a pic of my special cup with the pasta. 🙂 Go Jordan!!
- 1 Tsp. Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Vodka
- 1 Cup Marinara (homemade or jarred)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- (Dash of crushed red pepper if desired)
- ¼ Cup Milk or Heavy Cream
- 3 Tsp. Parmesan
- Bring your salted water to a boil as you start to cook the sauce.
- On medium heat, add in your oil, vodka and marinara. Bring to a boil. Stirring every few minutes.
- Add in seasoning to taste.
- Bring down heat once sauce comes to a boil and add in your cream. Stir in.
- Add parmesan and let sauce simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add sauce to your al dente noodles and stir all together. Enjoy!
Here are the stars of the recipe! And yes, I use citrus vodka in this sauce – it is delicious.
I choose to go the easy route and just use jarred marinara. Honestly, I do not ever just eat it by itself since it is pretty easy to make, but makes for a nice touch in this recipe.
Sauce is just about done 🙂
Stir in your cream!
A touch of parm…
Now combine all that yummy goodness into one pot!
Enjoy!!!
Cheers from the heart,
Madeline