My Grandmother’s Penne Alla Vodka Recipe
The best penne alla vodka recipe– a silky, creamy tomato sauce (with a secret ingredient) that’s easy enough for weeknights and fancy enough for date nights in!
This is my grandmother’s penne alla vodka recipe that is hands down the best one out there– a must try!
I’m slowly working my way through uploading some of my favorite recipes from my Italian cookbook and some of my family recipes that have been passed down to me.
I’ve already shared my mom’s red sauce and pasta fagioli, and today, I’m sharing another recipe from my Grandma: her penne alla vodka.
I’ve made this recipe for so many people over the years, all to rave reviews. It’s the best penne alla vodka I’ve ever had (thanks to the secret ingredient), and I know you’ll love it too.
Why I love this recipe
Growing up, we were allowed to pick any dish we wanted for our birthday. Being the good Italian child that I am, I usually rotated between ravioli and spaghetti with meatballs. As I got older, though, this penne alla vodka became my favorite birthday dish.
Rich, creamy, decadent, penne alla vodka is still one of my favorite meals.
This version is a little different than other penne alla vodka recipes, mostly because of the inclusion of marscapone cheese. It really makes for the creamiest, most luxurious pasta, and once you try it like this, you’ll be convinced too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This one starts similar to my arrabbiata sauce— a simmer of garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Then, you’ll add in vodka. You can use any vodka here, it doesn’t need to be the expensive kind.
The vodka acts as an emulsifier in the sauce, helping to bind the tomato sauce and cream together and create a smoother texture. While the alcohol cooks off, it also enhances the flavors in the sauce, adding a subtle complexity, much like adding a little acid to a soup recipe does.
The marinara or tomato sauce is canned, like the Hunt’s brand. It’s not the same as jarred sauce.
My grandmother uses heavy cream in her penne alla vodka recipe, but I use half and half to cut down on calories and saturated fat.
Now, the secret ingredient is mascarpone cheese! I know it sounds odd– but trust me. Adding it creates the silkiest tomato cream sauce, and I don’t recommend trying to omit it or substitute it. (Use any leftovers in my Green Pasta!)
I serve this with any tubular pasta. Penne, of course, works, but I actually prefer it with rigatoni!
Substitution Notes
If you want to make a lighter sauce, use half and half instead of heavy cream.
There really isn’t any substitution for the marscapone cheese, cream cheese or ricotta won’t work the same.
How to Make this Penne alla Vodka
Cook the Red Pepper in Olive Oil
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cooking the red pepper in the oil allows for the pepper to bloom and become more fragrant. This is a key step!
Cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn. Add the vodka and cook until reduced by half.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, half and half and simmer until thickened slightly and flavors have come together.
This is usually the time when I add the pasta to the salted water, so that it’s done as soon as my sauce is finished cooking.
Add in the cheese
Stir in the parmesan cheese and mascarpone cheese and whisk until the cheese is completely incorporated into the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and toss until well sauced.
Chef’s Tip: Reserve a little pasta water for restaurant quality pasta and then add a splash to the saute pan with the cooked pasta and the sauce. This will help the sauce cling to the pasta and make for a silkier sauce.
Pro Tips
Deglaze the pan with the vodka thoroughly after sautéing the garlic, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the vodka reduce by at least half before adding the tomatoes and the cream.
I prefer half and half as a less rich version of heavy cream, but you can use either one.
As with most of my pasta recipes, I finish cooking the pasta in the sauce with a little pasta water to emulsify the sauce further and allow it to cling to the pasta.
You’ll want to serve this penne alla vodka immediately.
What To Serve Alongside
For a vegetable side, I like to serve this penne alla vodka alongside my easy kale Caesar salad or my roasted garlic broccoli.
If I’m making this for a dinner party, then I’ll make the sauce ahead of time, then just warm it right before serving and add the cooked pasta. For a heartier dinner, I’ll typically serve this penne alla vodka with my homemade Impossible meatballs. It pairs perfectly!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is vodka used in this sauce?
Vodka acts as an emulsifier, which helps to bind the cream and the tomatoes together. Vodka also enhances the flavors of the sauce, like making the tomatoes taste a little sweeter.
Can you make this without vodka?
You can, but the sauce’s texture and flavor will be different without the vodka. If you are looking for a red sauce without vokda, then I’d recommend my Homemade Red Sauce with a splash of cream added at the end.
Can this sauce be made ahead of time?
Yes! As with most pasta sauce recipes, the sauce’s complexity will increase the longer it sits. Take care not to break the sauce as you rewarm it—you don’t want the cream to curdle when you reheat it in a saucepan. I reheated it in a large skillet over low heat until warmed through.
More Pasta Dishes To Try:
If you make this penne alla vodka, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
My Grandmother’s Penne a la Vodka
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 2 cups marinara or tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 12 ounces penne or rigatoni
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (I usually undercook by a minute), then drain, reserving 1/2 cup water.
- While the water is coming to a boil, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, about 30 seconds or so, until just fragrant.
- Add in the vodka and cook until about half of the vodka is evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the marinara, salt, pepper, half and half, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has come together. Stir in the parmesan cheese and mascarpone cheese and keep stirring until the mascarpone has melted into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with a splash of the pasta water and toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve, garnishing with more parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes as desired before serving.