This creamy Vodka Sauce is rich, tangy, and perfectly indulgent—great for serving with your favorite pasta, spooning over pizza crust, or dunking with crusty garlic bread.
Why you’ll love this
- Simple. This classic sauce is surprisingly easy to make. After a quick sauté of some onions, you’ll stir in a few more ingredients, then simmer and walk away!
- Delicious. Vodka adds such a unique depth of flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
- Versatile. Spoon it over pizza crust, stir it into pasta, or use garlic bread for dunking… you can’t go wrong.
Ingredient notes
- Butter and Olive Oil – I like the combination for flavor, but feel free to use one or the other.
- Yellow Onion – shallot or red onion will work as well.
- Garlic – I always use pre-minced, jarred garlic for easy prep, but use fresh if that’s what you have on hand.
- Spices: Dried Basil, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, and Dried Oregano – throw in some red pepper flakes to make it spicy. Fresh basil would also be delicious as a garnish.
- Vodka – don’t go for a cheapest option, but don’t use the nicest bottle either! A mid-range vodka will work well. I’ve never tried an alcohol-free vodka, but I’m sure that would be fine.
- Crushed Tomatoes – you’ll need 2 (28 oz) cans. Since we’re blending the sauce, whole canned tomatoes or diced tomatoes would work. San Marzano’s will give you the best flavor (they’re sweet and aren’t very acidic), but I’ve used generic tomatoes with success, because San Marzano’s are expensive!
- Heavy Cream – or half-and-half. You may be able to use whole milk, but it won’t be as rich and creamy.
- Parmesan – use freshly grated for the best flavor and texture, but the green can (gasp!) in the pasta aisle will work as well. I also love pecorino romano, asiago, or a blend of the three.
Can kids eat vodka sauce?
That’s up to you. Many sources say that most of the alcohol burns off, but you have to do what makes you comfortable.
This recipe uses 1 cup of vodka, which is quite a lot. I’d suggest looking at our other delicious pasta recipes!
How to serve
- Pasta. Penne for Penne alla Vodka is the most traditional, but use your favorite pasta shape or use it in my crockpot lasagna with ravioli.
- Pizza. Slather it on your favorite pizza crust and top with all the toppings! Try it on my french bread pizza or pizza sliders for a fun twist.
- Dip. Make a fresh batch of garlic bread and dip away!
What to serve with vodka sauce
Coat your favorite pasta with sauce then serve it next to a protein, salad, and bread for a complete meal!
- Protein. Baked chicken meatballs, chicken parmesan, cheesy air fryer meatballs.
- Salad. Caesar salad, pear, blue cheese, candied pecan salad.
- Bread. Garlic bread, hawaiian roll garlic bread.
How to store
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or 3 months in the freezer.
To enjoy again, thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then heat on the stove until warm.
– Jennifer
Vodka Sauce
This creamy Vodka Sauce is rich, tangy, and perfectly indulgent—great for serving with your favorite pasta, spooning over pizza crust, or dunking with crusty garlic bread.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste, I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup vodka
- 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large skillet (make sure it has a lid, we’ll be using it later) over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add onion, garlic, basil, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and oregano, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in vodka and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Mix in crushed tomatoes, reduce heat to low, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Pour in heavy cream, cover, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
- Transfer mixture carefully to a high powered blender with parmesan and blend until smooth.
- Taste and re-season, if necessary, then serve as desired and enjoy!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:3-5 Days
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then heat on stove
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Vodka Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 476 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 86mg29%
Sodium 671mg29%
Potassium 675mg19%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1531IU31%
Vitamin C 20mg24%
Calcium 198mg20%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: creamy tomato sauce, creamy vodka sauce, Homemade sauce, pasta sauce recipe, penne alla vodka, pizza sauce recipe