Creamy Tomato Penne alla Vodka
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This penne alla vodka delivers everything you want from a classic vodka pasta — a rich, creamy tomato sauce with just enough heat from crushed red chili, and it cooks in 20 minutes on a weeknight. The recipe works beautifully with plain vodka, but if you have gin on hand, use it! The botanical notes pair with the fresh rosemary in a way that plain vodka doesn’t.
Penne alla vodka has stayed on restaurant menus and home dinner tables since the 1980s, and for good reason. The creamy pink sauce has a perfect balance of tangy tomato, sweet cream, and pasta. I make this with chopped onion, fresh rosemary and a splash of vodka — or gin — and it comes together in one pan while the pasta cooks.
In other words, it’s the ultimate comfort food recipe that tastes like something you’d order at your favorite Italian restaurant along with a big bowl of spaghetti amatriciana.
Three ingredients that make or break this sauce
- Vodka or gin: Both are clear spirits, so neither changes the color of the sauce. The real difference is flavor: Vodka is neutral and lets the tomato and cream shine, while gin adds a layer of botanical complexity that works surprisingly well with the rosemary. If you go the gin route, a basic London dry is all you need — nothing too floral. And yes, the alcohol cooks off during the simmer, so the sauce won’t taste boozy.
- Tomato passata or puree: Because this sauce only simmers for 10 minutes, you need to start with something already thick and smooth. Passata, bottled tomato puree or well-pureed canned crushed tomatoes all work — but skip whole peeled or diced tomatoes unless you blend them first. There isn’t enough cook time to break them down.
- Heavy cream: Don’t substitute half-and-half here. It doesn’t reduce properly, and you’ll end up with a thin, watery sauce instead of the thick, coating consistency you’re after. Full-fat cream only.
Alcohol-free penne vodka sauce
If you’re avoiding alcohol, substitute an equal amount of vegetable or chicken broth. The sauce will still be rich and creamy — just know that you’ll lose a little of the depth that the spirit adds, so taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Creamy Tomato Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (350 g) dried penne, ziti or other tubular shaped pasta
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
- ½ cup finely chopped onion or shallot
- ½ cup (125 ml) plain vodka, or gin
- 1 ¼ cups (300 g) tomato passata or puree
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
- ½-1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper, to your taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
- Salt
- ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese , plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring 5-6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot along with 3 tablespoons salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a wide pan large enough to hold the pasta. Add the onion and cook 1 minute, or until softened. Pour in the gin and lower the heat to medium-low. Gently simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, cream, red pepper, rosemary and ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and add to the pan. Reduce heat to low, add the cheese and stir until pasta is coated with the sauce. Serve with additional cheese and rosemary on top.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Make the sauce 1-3 days ahead. Reheat it in a small pan, adding 1-2 tablespoons water or broth as needed if has thickened too much. Cook the pasta and immediately toss with the sauce.
- I love to add chopped fresh rosemary to the sauce. It’s not authentic in vodka sauce, but rosemary is an herb that has a piney-fresh juniper scent. Feel free to omit it, or simply garnish the finished dish with fresh chopped parsley or basil leaves.
- Non-dairy option: I’ve successfully used creamy unsweetened oat milk instead of cream and olive oil instead of butter.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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Just a heads up you forget to mention when to add the garlic in your recipe! I am sure it will be great without but I just turned around and noticed I never used my chopped garlic!
Hey Kristen – I don’t call for garlic in this recipe, but it never hurts to add if you like it!
A very simple, yummy and versatile recipe! I used vodka, no gin on hand, and no rosemary. For the 4 serving recipe, I added a couple pinches of cayenne, a teaspoon or more to taste of smoked paprika, and a smidge of garlic salt. Thanks for sharing it!
Hi Karen
Do you have a reasonably simple method for a bisque sauce for shell fish pasta
Hi Graham – I’m testing out a simple recipe for a seafood bisque sauce. I’ll share it with you soon!
Amazing recipe! I added garlic to the onions, garlic instead of rosemary and a pinch of white sugar.
If you make the sauce 1-3 days ahead, will it work well on a pizza instead of pasta?
Hi Joel – Yes, I think it can work as a pizza sauce. You may need to simmer it for a few extra minutes to reduce it to a thicker consistency. The sauce will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
This was so good! I made a vegan version with cashew cream and vegan parmesan and butter. Also used some vegetable bouillon granules for some extra savory flavor. Amazing, definitely a lot of complex herbal, citrus and pine notes.
Just made this for dinner with oat milk and was so easy it turned out SO good!
Thanks for coming up with this recipie. Being from an Italian-Argentinian background, when I moved to the US and quickly vsaw vodka sauce was the “the thing,” I thought, vodka? Really? No way Its neutral profile is anathema! I always thought gin is a much better option. It really makes sense what you say about the rosemary’s piney notes enhancing the gin’s juniper scent. Looks like a total winner. Can’t wait to make it! Thanks again;
Great recipe! Just made it for the first time. I took the liberty in adding 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. oregano.
5 stars!
So glad to hear!
Is penne vodka rly a throwback?
<3
Oh, I’ll have some of that! (and there will be negronis here when you get here!)