Best Ever Vodka Sauce

For years I’ve been trying to perfect my vodka sauce, but could never quite get it right.  I would start with sauteed bacon and onion, and then I would add my homemade jarred tomato sauce that my family makes every year.  Then cream and Parmesan.  It was *good*, don’t get me wrong…but it wasn’t that creamy, tasty vodka sauce you’d get at a restaurant.  What was I doing wrong?!

Bon Appetit to the rescue

Welp, I was determined to find an answer.  I did my research and finally found what I was doing wrong in Bon Appetit’s Rigatoni Vodka recipe.  And it was honestly something I wouldn’t have thought of.  What was it? Tomato paste.  No tomato sauce AT ALL!  I know, it blew my mind too.  Another mistake I was making?  Not putting enough cream.  Yeah, vodka sauce is not for those watching their weight.  I used to add like, 1/4 cup.  Pshhh. What was I thinking???

So…I got to work.  It took me a few times though, once I cracked the tomato paste code, to make it perfect. You start off by sauteing onion and pancetta in olive oil until translucent. Then you deglaze with your vodka and cook that for a few minutes, until it’s absorbed and the vodka flavor has cooked off. When you cook with wine, if it doesn’t get cooked out all the way, not a big deal. But vodka?? Mmmmm no thanks, not in my pasta! Then you add in the tomato paste, and let it all cook together. If you’re using canned tomato paste, you may want to add a bit more stock to balance out that “tinny” flavor canned tomatoes can sometimes give off. Also, one tip I’ve learned along the way: for some reason, tomato paste seems to burn faster in a enamel-based pot (don’t ask me why, I’m sure there is some scientific reason that doesn’t make sense to me!). For this reason, I always make my voda sauce in a stainless steel pot. It gives you time to cook each step and not have to worry about burning the tomato paste.

patience is a virtue

Once your tomato paste is cooked through and has this deep red color, that is when you add in your broth and heavy cream. For a minute it may feel like the sauce will never come together, but patience young grasshopper. Slowly keep stirring, adding in your cheese and butter until all is incorporated. Before you know it, you will have this beautiful pale pink/orange sauce.

This sauce is exactly what you’d taste in a restaurant.  It’s not too tomato-y, it’s creamy and has a nice smooth, velvet-like consistency. The cream with the Pecorino and tomato paste creates a wonderful flavor….that perfect flavor that you get when you order Penne Alla Vodka at your favorite Italian restaurant.

You can go classic with this and use penne, but any shape works here.  Rigatoni (my favorite) is great, I’ve also used it with homemade gnocchi and ravioli.  One of my boyfriend’s favorite pizza is the Vodka Grandma at a pizzeria in Huntington, Long Island – we’ve recreated it with this vodka sauce and OMG. I’ve made chicken parm using this instead of red sauce. Go as simple or as creative as you want, the bottom line is, this sauce works EVERY TIME. Buon Appetito!

Print Recipe

Vodka Sauce

Restaurant quality vodka sauce that comes together in minutes! Pair it with your favorite pasta shape or swap it out for marinara for a fun twist on pizza!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Heavy Cream, Tomato Paste, Vodka, Vodka Sauce

Servings: 4 people

Author: Christina

Ingredients

• 2 oz pancetta, finely diced you can also use bacon
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 4.5 oz tube of tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 oz vodka
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup Pecorino or Parmesan
• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• Reserved pasta water
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley
• 1 lb your favorite pasta

Instructions

• Saute the pancetta with the onion with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium low until onions are translucent. Deglaze with the vodka, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Add your tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes, until it resembles the color of bricks.
• Slowly add in your cream and broth. Swirl around and make sure the tomato paste mixture is fully incorporated. Add in the cheese, butter and cook for a few minutes. While the sauce is simmering, cook your favorite pasta to al dente (usually about 8 minutes, but check the instructions on the package). Add salt and pepper to the sauce to taste. If the sauce gets to be too thick, turn off the heat and add in a 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water.
• Drain the rest of the pasta, and add back to the hot pot. Add ladles of sauce and cook on low until all the sauce is incorporated. If needed, add more pasta water. Transfer to a plate, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

**A lot of people ask if they can use light cream, half & half, etc to make it a *little* healthier.  While there’s no major thing wrong with it, the sauce won’t come together and be as thick or creamy as if you were to use heavy cream.

**If you’re making this sauce for more than 4 people, double the recipe.

**You can make this ahead of time, let it come to room temp, and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to use it, pour into a sauce pan and turn on low heat until it starts to bubble.  You may have to add some water or chicken broth to loosen it.

**You can make this dish, with the pasta, ahead of time and re-heat it.  Make sure that you don’t add all of the sauce though to the pasta.  When you heat it back up, it tends to dry up, and you will need to add more sauce for it to really come together.