Vodka Sauce Recipe
Now you can make this popular creamy pink vodka sauce right at home! Incredibly easy lightened-up recipe with olive oil, tomatoes, half and half, and fresh basil.
Love vodka sauce? Try our Vegan Vodka Sauce recipe.
Cooking dinner together with my hubs is one of my all-time favorite things. Sunday night is normally our go to night…and my hubby is the opposite of me.
He cooks on a whim. Throws things together as he owns it and it always turns out delicious.
This past weekend he made a classic Russian dish…borscht while I made homemade vodka sauce. It felt like a mini date in the comfort of our cozy kitchen.
And since it is Valentine’s Day…I hope you guys are staying in and cooking together. Because of crowds, cold, and overpriced pre-fixed menus…I mean we can do better than that?! Right?
This homemade creamy pink vodka sauce is the perfect recipe for date night in! It’s really simple to make and I promise you’ll never go back to jarred sauce ever again.
It tastes like restaurant quality but without the heavy price tag. Pair it with hot buttery penne pasta and an Avocado Caesar Salad and you’ve got yourself effortless Valentine’s dinner.
There’s so many different versions of vodka sauce recipes but the base is tomatoes, vodka, and heavy cream. Some include butter, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs. If you’re concerned about the taste of vodka…don’t be!
You can’t taste the harshness of the vodka, it is simply here to enhance the flavors. It adds a touch of heat to help balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the cream.
Is it necessary??…well no….but then it wouldn’t be a vodka sauce.
To make this recipe a little lighter, I used olive oil in place of butter, half and half in place of heavy cream, a fraction of the cheese, and also plenty of fresh basil.
Basil adds just the right amount of fresh flavor and half and half along with parmesan cheese all the creaminess.
This sauce is a combo of the sweet-spicy mixture and when you pair it with hot buttery penne pasta…it’s a match made in heaven! All you need is a simple salad, such as Tomato Mozzarella Salad and you’re set!
Ways To Serve Vodka Sauce
One of my personal favorite ways to serve vodka sauce is simply swapping it in some of our favorite recipes where it calls for a pasta sauce. It’s a great way to add flavor without compromising the overall recipe.
- Orecchiette with Baked Mini Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Cream Sauce
- Italian Zucchini Spaghetti Bake
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups with Spinach and Artichokes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
But of course, you can always simply toss the vodka sauce with hot buttery noodles, pair it with a salad and call it a day. Here are some of our favorite salads to pair with pasta:
Video: How to Make Vodka Sauce Recipe
Love vodka sauce? Try our Penne Vodka Sauce recipe, which is an easy and quick version of this popular pasta sauce.
More Favorites from Little Broken
PrintVodka Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Now you can make this popular creamy pink vodka sauce right at home! Incredibly easy lightened-up recipe with olive oil, tomatoes, half and half, and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- 16 oz. penne pasta
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes and vodka and continue cooking the mixture for 5-7 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.
- Then stir in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Transfer tomato mixture to a food processor or blender, add basil, and purée until smooth. Return sauce to the pan and stir in half and half. You want creamy and slightly sweet consistency. Start with 1/2 cup of half and half, taste, and add more if needed. Cook until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese and then the cooked pasta. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately with additional sprinkle of cheese and basil, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup sauce + 1 1/4 cup cooked pasta
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 8.2 g
- Sodium: 609.7 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
- Cholesterol: 6.2 mg
This recipe is outstanding. Made it to accompany ravioli and it was delicious!
Katia —
Borscht is Ukrainian. You should know that by now …
Please do your research along with your recipes!
I grew up eating Russian borscht so it’ll always be Russian to me but thanks for feedback.
I always make it in bulk. quadruple the recipe if not more. my son can eat this everyday for a month. no joke. I also like to add some butter , makes it extra creamy.
Delicious
This was very delicious. I’ve never made vodka sauce and was surprised to learn it’s very similar to my marinara sauce recipe with vodka, cream, and balsamic added. The purée step is not to be missed. I also used crushed tomatoes vs whole as that’s what I had on hand. Thanks for the recipe!! Will be a keeper for us.
I will make this for a family party in a few days. Reading the comments, I saw one person had an issue incorporating the half and half. Do you suggest tempering? I need this to be perfect and this recipe sounds like the one to make.
No there’s no need to temper. Make sure you’re sauce is not at a rolling boil and use good-quality full fat half and half and you won’t have any issues.
I have made this recipe many times, a real crowd pleaser..!
It is creamy and delicious, every one asks for the recipe!
You’ve got to try it for yourself
I have been craving vodka sauce for days. I have just finished following your recipe to the letter. And I had to write immediately. This is delicious! You have satisfied me more than 100%. Amazing flavor. Just perfect!
I love this sauce in the restaurant and have been wanting to make it forever. This recipe did not disappoint. It is so good. I used a shallot in place of the onion and heavy cream for my lactose intolerant son in law. It is so good. My little kids even loved it and they don’t like any sauces. I have saved this recipe and will make it again and again!
Delicious! Added some impossible ground at the end for protein
fantastic recipe! I use a stick blender in the pan and it leaves it just a little bit less smooth which worked beautifully to stick to the penne. doubled the garlic too because we’re a big garlic family 😅
The amount of pepper was perfect for that little kick in the end too.
might try this same recipe with some chicken or mushrooms next for a little meatier dish!
What a great recipe! Easy and delicious. I substituted some pesto for fresh basil. I used half of a large onion and one large garlic clove. Excellent.
Great.
All I can say is Yummy 😋!!!!!!!! It’s the first time making vodka sauce and this will be my only recipe I will be making. Thank You
made this recipe not good will not use again
I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit. I like to leave the sauce chunky.
I LOVE this recipe, I’ve made it quite a few times and it’s a real crowd pleaser (literally!). I do prefer to use a bit less onion, as does my husband, I find that it brings down the acidity just a bit and we prefer that. Excellent with a full onion as well, though. Make sure you blend it really well I think it’s better super blended
Loved it!!! I made it to go with lobster ravioli, absolutely delicious!!!
Absolutely Perfect! I have made this recipe dozens of times, and everyone in my family loves it. In fact, this is the second day in a row I’m making it! First with pasta, and today as the sauce for Chicken Parmesan! Thank you so much.
This recipe is simply AMAZINGLY TASTY and so easy to prepare. Can’t wait to make it for a special occasion next.