Penne alla Vodka

5 from 26 votes

This creamy pasta with vodka is a vintage recipe from the 1970s and 80s that has become really popular and trendy in the last few years. It's easy to make, yet special enough to serve on date nights and to guests.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-American, Mediterranean

Keyword: alla vodka, authentic Italian pasta recipe, Italian recipe, penne, vodka sauce

Servings:

Calories: 840kcal

Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

350 g penne (12oz) or rigatoni. I used whole grain penne from Mancini
200 g pancetta (7oz) diced
1 small onion peeled and chopped
300 g tomato passata (10.5oz)
10-12 cherry tomatoes halved
150 ml Fresh cream (5floz) or Italian heavy cream (panna da cucina)
½ cup vodka
2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
1 teaspoon peperoncino flakes (red chili pepper) or as required
salt for pasta and to taste
freshly ground black pepper. to serve
Parmigiano Reggiano grated as required

Instructions

Prepare ingredients

Peel and chop the onion, dice the pancetta if it’s in one piece. Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.

Make the sauce

Cook the onion in a large skillet with olive oil until it becomes transparent. Add the diced pancetta and brown it. Deglaze with the vodka over a high heat and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the red chili pepper and then add the cherry tomato halves and cook until they soften slightly.
Add tomato passata and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced. Add salt to taste. Add the cream and mix the ingredients together carefully.

Cook the pasta

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Once the pasta is ready, save a cup of cooking water and drain.

Finish the dish

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix together well. If you think your sauce is too dry, add a little pasta cooking water. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and grated parmigiano (if required).

Nutrition