Pasta night is always our favorite night. It could be something as basic as spaghetti and meatballs, and yet it always hits the spot! Maybe we also love it because the kiddos always devour the meal. My homemade Alla Vodka sauce is very simple to make and will get those taste buds dancing! Better yet, this is one of those dishes where the leftovers are somehow even better!
As always, I will now walk through a few of the key ingredients and cooking tips to help you crush this meal and be the dinner time hero:
- Protein – For the vegetarians who follow along, feel free to skip this step. For others (like me) who always like to add some form of meat, here you go! We chose sausage, as it is a great pairing and always a winner with the kids. Other options are ground beef or chicken! Whatever you choose, make sure to get a nice sear before you remove it. The brown bits in the pan will add great flavor to the sauce, and the meat always tastes a little better!
- Pasta – Obviously, with a name like Penne Alla Vodka, the easy choice is Penne. Just know, this sauce can be made with any type of pasta… so pick your favorite!
- Shallot – If you don’t already know by now, I will sub out onions for shallots any time that I can. In my opinion, they bring a ton more flavor! If you want onions, add onions!
- Vodka – When cooking with vodka, make sure to simmer for about two minutes to ensure the alcohol cooks out.
See below for full measurements and cooking instructions!
Equipment
- High-rimmed pot
Ingredients
- Protein sausage or chicken
- Veggies roasted broccoli
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion
- 3 Tbsp. oil
- 2 oz vodka
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 12 oz penne
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1/4 cup pasta water or more
- Parsley
Instructions
- Optional: Cook any protein you want to add (we did sausage) and remove.
- Optional: Roast any veggies. (We did broccoli.)
- Mince up the garlic and chop the shallot.
- In your pot, heat the oil and add the shallot. Cook until deeply golden (2-3 minutes).
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- In goes the vodka and reduce for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and then add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, and while that happens, cook your pasta until al dente.
- Reserve some pasta water for the sauce.
- Reduce the heat and add the heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Once warm, stir in the pasta, pasta water, and any protein/veggies.
- Plate and garnish with chopped parsley and more Parmesan!
- Enjoy!
Notes
GLUTEN-FREE SUBSTITUTIONS: For those of you who need it, I always like to talk about substitutions to make a meal gluten-free. This one is an easy one. Make sure you are using gluten-free pasta! My go-to brands are Barilla and Bionaturae (from Thrive Market)!
If you make this, please leave a comment or rate the recipe below! Also, feel free to leave a comment with anything else you want me to make! I love putting my spin on classic recipes or creating new ones!
Tried this recipe?Mention @KirksCookingAndCocktails or tag #kirkscookingandcocktails!
