My Favorite Vodka Sauce Recipe
Smooth, rich, incredibly flavored…the list of adjectives to describe this homemade vodka sauce recipe are truly endless and most definitely hunger-inducing! Remember the penne alla vodka I shared a few months ago? Today I’m sharing a standalone recipe for the sauce, just in case you don’t feel like serving it over penne pasta (like on a pizza with plenty of fresh basil?!).
Why you’ll love it:
Restaurant-quality flavor at home. Every step of this recipe is carefully crafted to imbue rich depth of flavor–serve this to dinner guests, and I guarantee they’ll be impressed! Enjoy as a vegetarian dish or pack on the protein. Chicken, shrimp, sausage, or meatballs all work well with this sauce. Simmers for just 30 minutes on the stove before it’s ready to serve. And if you want to make it in advance, it tastes even better the next day. Practically begs to be sopped up with breadsticks or garlic knots.
What You Need
None of the ingredients are too fancy, and that’s one thing I love about this dish. However, the way we bring them together is going to give the vodka sauce incredible complexity of flavor. Let’s go over them!
Tomatoes. While crushed tomatoes will technically work, I prefer to use whole tomatoes and crush them myself. If you can get your hands on them, San Marzano tomatoes are an excellent choice here and my personal preference. Vodka. Use whichever brand you like–it does not have to be expensive! Just make sure whichever vodka you use is plain/unflavored. Cream. Heavy cream or whipping cream will work here. This mellows out the sauce, adds body, and makes it so velvety. Parmesan. As when making macaroni and cheese, I recommend that you grate your own cheese here. Pre-grated or shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting nicely, and we want a super smooth vodka sauce. Don’t forget to grate some extra for serving over your pasta. Basil. Fresh basil has the BEST flavor and will greatly impact the quality of your sauce. I highly recommend using fresh if you can, but if you cannot find any, you can use 2 teaspoons of dried basil instead.
I didn’t include pasta in this ingredient list because this recipe is technically just for the sauce. SAM’S TIP: You can adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to suit your taste; if you like a spicier pasta, add ½ teaspoon (and try my arrabiata sauce while you’re at it!). If you prefer your pasta milder, use ¼ teaspoon (or you can leave it out). Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Vodka Sauce
SAM’S TIP: If you are serving this sauce with pasta, save some of the pasta water before draining your noodles. As you toss the noodles and sauce together, drizzle in some of the pasta water; it will help the sauce cling to the noodles. I suggest doing this with all pasta dishes (like my ragu), not just with this vodka sauce recipe. I have a few more pasta sauce recipes coming for you soon, but are there any in particular you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy! Let’s cook together! Subscribe to my newsletter and make sure to follow along on YouTube where I have over 500 free video tutorials! 💜
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