My Grandmother's Penne a la Vodka
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!
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 673kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 18gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 1306mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1156IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 189mgIron: 3mg