Vodka Sauce Recipe

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 09/3/21
Vodka Sauce

 The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 80 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
10g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 214mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Vodka sauce became very popular in the 1970's and 80's in the form of penne alla vodka. Though it's often made with pasta and known as its own dish, the sauce by itself can be used in so many other ways. Essentially, it's a rich tomato sauce, much like marinara, but with the addition of a little butter, cream, and, of course, vodka.

Use the sauce in all the ways you would with a tomato sauce, with meats, grilled fish, or pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, minced

  • 1 carrot carrot, finely chopped

  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans good-quality chopped tomatoes

  • 8 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces

  • 1/2 cup good-quality vodka

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    vodka sauce ingredients
     Elaine Lemm

  2. Heat a large saute pan or heavy pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil and once it's hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and stir together. Let the vegetables cook until softened, around 7 minutes.

    sauted vegetables
     Elaine Lemm

  3. Add the tomatoes, tear the basil leaves and add to the sauce.

    add the tomatoes
     Elaine Lemm

  4. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced and thickened, about 1 hour. Keep an eye on the sauce, stirring from time to time If it begins to dry out, lower the heat slightly.

    cooked vodka sauce
     Elaine Lemm

  5. Lightly blend the sauce with an immersion blender or a couple of pulses in a food processor, taking care not to make the sauce too smooth. It should have a little texture. Add the salt, butter, and cream and stir thoroughly. Finally, add the vodka and stir well. The sauce will go from red to orange, but do not worry this is how it should be. The sauce is now ready to use as you would any other tomato sauce, but with an extra twist.

    creamed vodka sauce
     Elaine Lemm

Recipe Variations

  • As you would with your favorite marinara, pile on the Parmesan. The sharpness of this Italian cheese is a great pairing with the sauce. Pecorino Romano is good, too.
  • The sauce has a rich deep flavor but if you want some heat, spice it up with a few crushed red pepper flakes.

How Much Alcohol Is In Vodka Sauce?

If the thought of adding alcohol to a sauce makes you worry that you will be inebriated, it will not. Most of the alcohol in the vodka will evaporate when the sauce is heated and the subtle flavor of the vodka will remain. Even though majority of the alcoholic content may have cooked off, you may not want to serve this dish to young children as there is most likely still a little alcohol left in the dish.

How to Use Vodka Sauce

A vodka sauce is simply a rich tomato sauce, but with an extra twist of that splash of vodka at the end, so its uses are just the same. Vodka sauce is great with fish, meats, and pasta.