All logical reasons considered, I should NOT like Penne Alla Vodka. I've only recently come around to tomato-based sauces (and still approach them with caution), and the vodka-- well, for all of the reasons I've ever imbibed, "Vodka is delicious" has never been one of them. Yet here I am, eating a bowl full of One Pot Penne Alla Vodka with Sausage leftovers at 9 in the morning and relishing every single bite. It is so good.
Sometimes love just makes no sense at all.
If I really want to solve the mystery of why I am head-over-heels for the Penne Alla Vodka, I have to break down the steps. When I make my version, I start by sauteing of garlic and shallots until they're nice and fragrant, and then I add in some crumbled hot Italian sausage. This gives the dish meatiness, spiciness, and just a bit of sweetness. Sausage itself is a heavily seasoned meat, so that flavor will disperse into the sauce and won't be overshadowed by the bold flavors of the tomato and vodka.
Next comes the vodka, which is where I start seeing question marks. Why do we add vodka, of all things, to the recipe? It turns out, there are plenty of flavors in tomatoes and meats that are alcohol-soluble, meaning that they only are released when combined with alcohol.
In some recipes, this means adding wine. However, wine is sweet, and flavored with many other ingredients that would, in turn, flavor the sauce. If the goal is to enhance existing flavors from the tomatoes and sausage rather than add a whole 'nother bunch of tastes and smells, then wine, beer, and bourbon are not what we're looking for.
Instead, we use vodka because it is tasteless and odorless. Or rather, it is tasteless and odorless besides the taste and smell of alcohol. This means that the recipe can get all of the benefits of the alcohol-- the bitterness that enhances the spices, the sugars and bite that balance the tomatoes, and on a molecular level, the bonding between fats and liquids that create a fuller, more intensely flavored sauce-- without any muddling or undesired additions.
Once the vodka has simmered and reduced slightly, I add in chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. The mixture will seem very liquidy, but the liquid will partially cook off and partially be absorbed by the pasta. The starch that the pasta releases while cooking will also help to thicken the sauce, so it clings to the penne instead of sliding off when you take a fork full.
I bring the mixture to a low boil, add in the uncooked penne, and cook until the pasta is al dente. It's important to stir the pasta occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
When the penne is cooked, I mix in cream. This gives the vodka sauce its signature texture and richness, and dilutes some of the stronger flavors of the tomatoes and alcohol. The sauce is good as-is, but a bit of basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and black pepper bring it over the top with spice and freshness. Yum. No wonder I love it.
It's an easy dish that comes together quickly and in just ONE POT (which is great if you hate post-dinner clean up as much as I do), but no one you feed it to will believe that you just whipped it up that simply. It's great for both a date night meal and a weeknight recipe. Try it out, take a photo, and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter to show off your meal!
One Pot Penne Alla Vodka with Sausage
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 8 oz hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 cup vodka
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb uncooked penne pasta
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese, to top
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic and shallot and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Crumble the sausage into the pot and brown all over, but don't cook through.
- Pour in the vodka and cook until it slightly reduces, about 2 minutes. Add in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Add in the penne and cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add in the heavy cream, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and basil leaves. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until warmed through, stirring occasionally. If your sauce becomes too thick, add a bit more chicken stock or water to thin.
- Top with additional basil leaves and parmesan cheese, to serve.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Michael says
Made this tonight after finding the recipe on reddit and it came out delicious! I needed to use about 1 whole extra cup of stock while cooking the pasta because it was getting too thick but the flavor was still incredible! I also used a regular yellow onion instead of a shallot because that's what I had on hand.
I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
Daniel says
Came here to say the exact same things. Reddit,delicious, more stock, onion. Will make again. Thanks!
David says
Made this last night. It was amazing. Great heat, but not overwhelming.
I did not add more chicken stock, however I did add a little extra sausage and I generally like my vodka sauce on the thicker side.
Looking forward to trying more of your recipesrecipes! ipe
Janetta says
This was absolutely delicious. It was super easy to make and came out amazing. My husband, who is typically not a fan of vodka sauce, went back for seconds and thirds. This one is a keeper! Thanks for another stellar recipe.
Todd S says
Just made this tonight for my family and it was delicious! My wife was worried that she would taste the vodka (grey goose), but we used the full cup and there was no 'rubbing alcohol' flavor as my wife put it. It did nothing but help bring out the flavors of the dish.
The only change I made was I switched the hot italian sausage for mild for my wife.
Seriously delicious recipe. Thanks!
Marcus says
Made this for my family tonight and it was absolutely amazing! So far my favorite dish I've ever made! It's so easy to make, and all the ingredients are easy to find and prepare. Definitely will be having this again (many times) in the future.
Peggie says
can gluten free pasta be used and cooked in the same way?
Lara says
Doubled the receipe = 2 cups of vodka, let's say lesson learned and never again haha. I added an extra can of tomatoe sauce and tomatoe paste and more heavy cream and it tasted great. A slight taste of vodka, but I will know for next time!
Shelley says
Love this recipe, have made it several times so far. Easy and so delicious. The last time I made it I substituted the heavy cream for equal parts Greek yogurt and milk. It made it a little more tangy, but still quite good - and a solid calorie saver.
Katie says
This is incredibly delicious, deceptively simple, and worryingly addictive. I have to stop myself from making this as often as possible because I really don't need that much heavy cream in my life, even if I want it. I always thought it was food-blogger hyperbole to talk about craving making a recipe, but this has proved me wrong. I fighting the urge to buy the ingredients again right now.
On top of that, I'm a new cook, so I appreciate how easy it is to make.
Daniel says
Not sure what difference the vodka makes. Love how quick and easy it is. Taste is more than decent but I've had better.
Chris says
Wasn't wowed. The hot sausage was overwhelming, even using a 50/50 mix of hot & sweet, detracting from the nuanced flavor of a vodka sauce. Cooking the pasta in the sauce seemed like a great time and dirty pot saver but all that starch just made the dish heavy, even before the addition of the heavy cream. In the end, while this dish tasted good it wasn't a great vodka sauce: the brightness that vodka brings to its namesake sauce was buried under the overwhelming flavor of the sausage.