Penne Vodka

A simple, satisfying favorite.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Iconic, restaurant-style pasta in 30 minutes.
• Creamy and tangy in perfect balance.
• Cracks the code of why this pasta is so addictive.
• Pairs with crusty bread and a green salad.
• Crowd-pleaser for dinner parties.

Ingredient Notes

• Vodka has no flavor of its own — it dissolves alcohol-soluble flavor molecules from the tomato.
• Tomato paste must be cooked dark for depth.
• Real parmesan, freshly grated.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Skip vodka in a pinch — sauce loses depth but still works.
• Mascarpone (½ cup) in place of cream for extra richness.
• Spicy calabrian chili in place of red pepper flakes.

Equipment Needed

• Large pasta pot
• Large skillet or saucepan
• Tongs

Prep Tips

• Have pasta water heavily salted; pasta is the only chance to season.
• Grate cheese before sauce-finishing time.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 12 oz pasta, 1 medium tomato, diced, 1 vodka, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup parmesan cheese. mince the garlic, dice the onion, and grate the parmesan before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Sauté onion and garlic.

3. 3

   Add tomato and vodka, simmer 5 min. Taste and adjust salt; serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and hot.

4. 4

   Stir in cream and parmesan.

5. 5

   Toss with cooked pasta.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Caramelize tomato paste 3 minutes — it's the secret depth.
• Don't skip the vodka — it carries flavor compounds tomato alone can't.
• Off-heat parmesan finish keeps it smooth.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping the tomato-paste caramelization — sauce stays flat.
• Adding parmesan to boiling sauce — clumps.
• Burning the garlic.

Recipe Tags