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Pasta with Vodka Sauce
4.9 from 36 votes

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

šŸšŸ…šŸ§€ Make an Italian restaurant-worthy pasta dish EASILY at home in 30 minutes! Pasta is tossed in a tomato-forward sauce that includes red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, spinach, heavy cream for RICHNESS, and of course, vodka! A family FAVORITE comfort food classic recipe thatā€™s doable for busy weeknights, for entertaining, or for date night at home!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 233 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fettuccine penne, rigatoni, etc., cooked according to package directions for al dente, or another pasta
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste (reduce for less spiciness)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion diced small, small, white
  • 1 red chile pepper diced finely; or to taste, small
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 28 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes optionally drained for a thicker sauce, canned petite diced
  • Ā¼ cup vegetable broth I recommend reduced sodium
  • Ā¼ cup tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix
  • Ā¼ cup voda
  • 2 cups spinach plus more to taste if desired, fresh
  • Ā¼ cup water reserved pasta water
  • ā…“ cup heavy cream do not substitute
  • salt to taste; optional
  • parsley optional for serving, fresh
  • Parmesan Cheese optional for serving, fresh, or pecorino
  • tomato optional for serving, diced, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To a large stockpot, add the water, salt the water according to package directions, and cook the pasta as directed for al dente pasta.
  2. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; set aside.
  3. Drain the pasta into a large colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; set pasta aside.
  4. To a separate, large, dry skillet (Tip - make sure it's sufficiently large, you're making many pounds worth of food), add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, and toast them dry over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes to both release the flavor and temper the heat in the finished dish. Stir frequently.
  5. Add the olive oil, onions, red chile peppers, and sautƩ over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Stir frequently.
  6. Add the garlic and sautƩ for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir constantly.
  7. Add the canned fire-roasted tomatoes (or regular petite-diced tomatoes for less spiciness) and drain the tomatoes if you want a thicker finished sauce.
  8. Add the tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix, broth (water may be substituted), vodka, and cook simmer for about 5 minutes.
  9. Add the spinach (I add more like 3 cups because it wilts down so much and I like the texture it adds), reserved pasta water, and cook for 2 minutes, or until spinach has wilted. Stir frequently, smashing the spinach down into the hot liquid to encourage wilting.
  10. Turn the heat to low, add the heavy cream, and allow the sauce to simmer very gently for about 2 minutes. Tip - DO NOT allow the sauce to come to a fast boil because you risk the cream breaking (the dairy proteins will break, the sauce looks terrible, and you'll have to start over). Just let it simmer very gently. Stir frequently.
  11. Taste the sauce and if you think it needs salt, add some now, to taste. Tips - Make any other necessary seasoning adjustments as well, such as additional black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, whatever you think it needs based on your preferences.
  12. Add the cooked pasta into the sauce (this is why you need a big skillet) and toss well to coat it evenly.
  13. Cover the skillet for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and marry.
  14. Uncover the skillet, and as desired optionally garnish with fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan or Percorino-Romano cheese (do not use a green can of cheese), and/or freshly diced tomatoes, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • *Remove theĀ seeds and the placenta to reduce the heat.Ā Most people think the heat is only in the seeds but this is false! Most heat is actually contained in the chileā€™s placenta, which is the white-ish or lighter colored sac at the top of the chile (after you halve it vertically) where the seeds attach. Google Images is great here if you need a visual. Alternatively, you can useĀ half of the chile, a quarter of it, or none at all.Ā 
  • **If you donā€™t want your sauce to be spicy, swapĀ fire-roasted tomatoesĀ forĀ regular petite-diced tomatoes.Ā 
  • Storage: Pasta with vodka sauce is best warm and fresh. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting that the pasta will have a tendency to absorb additional vodka sauce as it sits, so don't be surprised if there's less sauce than you remember with the leftovers and the noodles are softer too.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 233kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g (29%) Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 342mg (14%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 233kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 342mg 14%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 6g 12%

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