Penne alla Vodka - Pasta with Tomato Vodka Sauce
Penne alla Vodka is a super easy pasta recipe that'll leave you licking your plate clean! It's made with penne pasta tossed in a creamy tomato vodka sauce with garlic and pancetta. If a big bowl of comfort food is what you're looking for then this is it!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 647kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup smoked pancetta cubed (100g)
- 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
- 1 shallot , finely chopped
- 4 cups penne pasta (14 oz/400g)
- 1.5 cup puréed tomatoes (passata) (400g)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (80ml)
- ⅓ cup vodka (80ml)
- ½ cup reserved pasta water (120ml)
- salt and pepper to season
- freshly grated parmesan for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instruction until al dente.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large pan and add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes until starting to brown (2-3 minutes)
- Next, add the garlic and shallot and saute until the shallot becomes translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Stir the pureed tomatoes into the skillet and add ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Let it simmer for 1 minute then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cream and stir until thoroughly combined with the tomato. Once combined, add the vodka with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes or until you can no longer smell the vodka and the sauce has darkened slightly. If the sauce reduces too much then add another splash of pasta water.
- Once the pasta is cooked al dente, add it to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with parmesan.
Video
Notes
- No pancetta? you can use smoked bacon roughly chopped instead.
- If you can't get a good brand of tomatoes then you might need to add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity, add it to taste.
- It's important to turn the heat to low before adding the cream or it might split. Don't worry if it does, the sauce will look a little grainy but will still taste delicious.
- If you don't have penne pasta, no problem, use any pasta shape you like!
- I don't add any herbs to this recipe but if you want to add some then fresh basil or parsley would work well.
- Make sure to reserve pasta water, this helps emulsify the sauce but also adds a lot of flavour.
- You can make this sauce in advance keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it in suitable containers.
- Leftover pasta will keep for 1-2 days and can be eaten cold for lunch or made into a pasta salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg