Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (~1 cup)
- 3 oz pancetta, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 12 oz cooked pasta, for serving
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Thinly sliced fresh basil, for serving (optional)
Build the Base with Pancetta and Aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and pancetta; cook, stirring, until the onion has softened and the pancetta is crispy – this takes ~4 minutes.
The pancetta fat will render and help cook the onions.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute more.
Add Vodka and Tomatoes
Add the vodka first – it’ll sizzle and start to cook off the alcohol immediately.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them to the pot.
The hand-crushing gives you better texture than using a spoon and keeps some chunks intact.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked down and the sauce has thickened.
Finish with Cream and Cheese
Stir in the salt, heavy cream, and the Parmesan.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for another ~5 minutes or until thickened.
The Parmesan will melt and thicken the sauce – don’t let it boil hard or the cream might curdle.
Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Serve Over Pasta
Serve over the cooked pasta and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, extra Parmesan, and fresh basil.
The sauce coats ~12 oz of pasta well, but you can stretch it to 1 lb if you like less sauce per serving.
Easy Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion ~1 cup, finely diced
- 3 oz pancetta diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 can whole tomatoes 28 oz
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 12 oz cooked pasta for serving
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- Thinly sliced fresh basil optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and pancetta; cook until onions soften and pancetta crisps, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add vodka, then crushed tomatoes.
- Simmer sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in salt, heavy cream, and Parmesan.
- Cook 5 more minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve over pasta with red pepper flakes, extra Parmesan, and basil.
