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Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka

Make this extra creamy cherry tomato pasta alla vodka in less than 30 minutes! Using sweet summer cherry tomatoes for the best flavor, along with fresh herbs and plenty of parmesan cheese, this creamy sauce is bursting with fresh, craveable flavor.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 489 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 4 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 8 cloves garlic smashed
  • 4 pints fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup vodka
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces your favorite short cut pasta
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
  • 4 tbsp cold butter cubed
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • grated parmesan for serving
  • Torn basil leaves for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Begin bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. While waiting for it to boil, start on your vodka sauce. When it's boiling, add the pasta and cook until just before al dente.
  2. Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium heat. Put the diced yellow onion in the pan and cook until they begin to get some color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes and stir them gently in the oil and onions for a minute to get them fragrant.
  3. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the tomato skins burst. Let them simmer in the pan for another 5 minutes, mush them a little with a wooden spoon to let them get jammy and reduce some of the liquid.
  4. Turn the heat off and pour the tomato sauce into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth, then pour the tomato sauce back into the sauté pan.
  5. Get the pan back onto medium heat. Whisk in the vodka, let the alcohol evaporate for 3 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream. Taste for seasoning and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Turn the heat to low.
  6. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce, it'll finish cooking in it, absorbing the flavors.
  7. Add the parmesan cheese, stirring until the parmesan is completely incorporated. Add the cubed butter and stir until the butter is just melted in.
  8. Serve hot and top with more basil and parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • If you're anything like me right now, you're not just using all the abundant produce this summer's offering, but you're also saving it for fall and winter!
  • This pasta sauce is great for making ahead for meal planning and meal prep! Just make the sauce and keep it in an airtight container for five days in the fridge.
  • To reheat it, put it in a small saucepan on low and add the hot freshly cooked pasta to the sauce with a splash of pasta water.
  • Freezing: You can freeze vodka sauce! Put it into a freezer safe container or bag with as little air in it as possible. Freeze the sauce for up to 6 months.
  • Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge and follow the reheating instructions!

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 489kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 17g (85%) Polyunsaturated Fat 15g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 73mg (24%) Sodium 556mg (23%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 489

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 489kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g 88%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 556mg 23%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.