Easy Homemade Vodka Sauce
This delectable, rosy-colored tomato sauce with cream and a touch of vodka is always a favorite!
Equipment
- Skillet or Large Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. Butter, unsalted
- 1 Medium Sweet Onion, Diced
- ⅛ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
- 2 - 3 cloves Garlic, thin sliced
- 1 can Tomato Paste, small 6 oz. can
- 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes, large, undrained 28 oz. can
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp. Basil Leaves, torn Or ½ tsp. dried basil (what we had on hand)
- 2 - 3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup Vodka
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet or sauce pan. Add onions and crushed red pepper and cook on low/medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 4 - 5 minutes (avoid burning garlic).
- Stir in tomato paste while cooking another 2 - 3 minutes, mixing thoroughly.
- Mix in San Marzano tomatoes. Stir and crush tomatoes as they cook down, about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and slowly stir in cream. Stir in cheese, reserving a small amount for topping if desired. Taste and add salt as needed (see notes). Add in the vodka and simmer for another minute or two.Optional Step: Blend sauce for smoother texture or leave crushed for a more "rustic" texture/sauce.
- Pair with your favorite pasta, such as rigatoni or penne. Cook pasta - 3 minutes before al dente. Reserve about a cup of salted pasta water and drain. Toss pasta and half the water with sauce until well coated (see notes). If more water is needed gradually add to desired consistency.
Notes
Note 1, Salt: The tomatoes, tomato paste, and cheese will all bring their own salt to the sauce. Adding salt after the cheese is the best way to go, in our opinion, so as to not over salt the sauce.
Note 2: We did not take this recipe through the pasta step. We will in a future recipe but wanted to keep the focus on the sauce itself. We recommend the method of undercooking and finishing the desired pasta in the sauce with added pasta water for best results.