Penne Alla Vodka Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is penne alla vodka sauce made of? ›

Vodka sauce is an Italian-American pasta sauce made up of a tomato base, vodka, herbs, and cream. It's rich, creamy, flavorful, and delicious served over your favorite pasta! And no, you won't get drunk and it doesn't taste like booze!

In cooking, especially in penne alla vodka, deglazing a pan with liquor has many powers. Wine works, too, but a clean-tasting vodka has mostly water and ethanol (a solvent), which is excellent at carrying aromatic compounds — like those in tomatoes.

When you are making a vodka sauce for your pasta, break open a less expensive bottle of Smirnoff or Finladia grapefruit vodka. These more budget-friendly options will work just as well and no one will be able to tell the difference!

In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package directs. About 1 minute before you transfer pasta to sauce, add vodka to tomato sauce and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Vodka sauce also referred to as penne alla vodka, is a long-standing tradition in Italian culture. A sauce that began as a quick and affordable way to impress women has become a staple in Italian cuisine.

If you don't think ziti is all that dissimilar to penne, look again. Ziti is both shorter and thicker than it's quilled counterpart, and typically has a smooth exterior—though there are “rigate” variations on ziti.

The general consensus was that a vodka pasta sauce should be safe for children, if cooked thoroughly. "Traditional vodka sauce uses such a small amount of alcohol that it should evaporate out during cooking," Dr. Rachel Prete, pediatrician with Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, told POPSUGAR.

Vodka: Sounds like a bit of a strange ingredient to add to pasta sauce, but the flavor of Penne alla Vodka is great! And not to worry, the alcohol content cooks off, so it's perfectly fine for people who don't drink.

Based on some in-kitchen testing by J. Kenji López-Alt, the amount of vodka used is essential, and excessive amounts will overpower the sauce, adding bitterness, while just a splash may help deglaze your cookware but not unleash the aroma of the other ingredients fully.

Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the tomato paste, along with the red pepper flakes, and cook it until the tomato paste turns a really dark red color, about 3 minutes. Add the vodka and let it sizzle and allow the vodka to cook off a bit, about 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and mix it until smooth.

How do you thicken penne alla vodka? ›

If you want to fix thin vodka sauce without altering the flavor, you can add some tomato paste. This will help thicken the sauce while maintaining its flavor. You can also add some grated cheese, such as Parmesan, which will not only thicken the sauce but also add some depth of flavor.

So, as you chew your penne or rigatoni alla vodka, the vodka particles waft flavorful aromas to the back of your mouth, creating a heightened sense of euphoric enjoyment of food. Secondly, alcohol boasts the power to emulsify, bonding water and fat together until they exist in smooth harmony.

TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover penne vodka in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat, splashing in broth, milk, or water as needed to loosen the sauce. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave.

'furious pasta'), described as a sort of pasta all'arrabbiata, made with ½ kg of penne, ½ kg of fresh peeled tomatoes, a shot of vodka, chili pepper, oil, garlic, and bay leaves.

Yes, vodka sauce does contain alcohol. But while vodka is a key ingredient in vodka sauce, it is not meant to be the star of the show. The amount of vodka used in a typical vodka sauce recipe is relatively small, and most, if not all, of the alcohol cooks off during the cooking process, leaving behind only the flavor.

Is penne alla vodka alcoholic? Technically yes, since we are adding alcohol. However, we are going to cook off most of that alcohol (if not all), and the final dish will have very little left once divided among 6 portions. No one will be getting tipsy from pasta alla vodka!

Traditional Penne alla Vodka has tomatoes, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese as the base. For lighter cream sauces, I usually rely on a combination of: half and and half to add some richness, almond milk to bulk it up while keeping the points/calories down, and cornstarch to maintain the thickness of a heavy cream.