Are you dreaming about that vodka sauce pasta you get at a restaurant? Or are you tired of using the canned vodka sauce and want to impress your guests (or spouse) and make your own from scratch? Well, it seems like you've come to the perfect place!! My vodka sauce pasta comes together in under 30 minutes and is approachable, creamy, vegan, and packed with flavor. The calabrian chili peppers give it a bit of a kick, so get ready!
Making it Vegan
This recipe can easily be made vegan or kept vegetarian. The main substitutes are around the butter, parmesan cheese, and milk of choice. I've only ever made this recipe with coconut milk (both reduced fat and full fat depending on my mood), so I'd recommend sticking with that. For the parmesan cheese and butter, if you're vegan, feel free to use your favorites, if you're not vegan regular butter (I love my Kerrygold) and freshly grated parmesan cheese will work wonderfully here.
Speaking of parmesan cheese... for all the health conscious readers out there I would highly recommend grating your own parmesan cheese. By doing so, you're ensuring no sneaky preservatives find their way into your dish.
Quick Weeknight Dinner
What makes this dish even more fantastic? It's relatively easy to whip up, making it a weeknight wonder that's guaranteed to impress. So, whether you're on the hunt for a Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta or simply looking for a bomb Italian night recipe, my Vodka Sauce Pasta recipe has you covered. Let's get cooking! 🌱🌶️🧀🍝
Vodka Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil
- ½ White Onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- 2 teaspoon of Calabrian Chili Peppers (finely chopped)
- ½ cup of Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon of Unsalted Butter (can substitute in Vegan Butter)
- 1 lb of Pasta (Rigatoni, Bowtie, you name it!)
- ¼ cup of Vodka (more if you are having a beverage 😉 )
- ⅔ cup of Non-Dairy Cream (Can also sub heavy cream)
- ⅔ cup of Parmesan Cheese (can substitute in non-dairy parmesan)
- ⅔ cup of Pasta Water
Instructions
- Season a large pot or skillet with olive oil and heat on medium heat.
- Add the onion and season with salt & pepper. Cook until onions are translucent (about 5 min). Toss every 1 min or so.
- Add the Calabrian chili peppers and garlic and cook until fragrant (about 2 min)
- Adjust the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste. Mix to combine with the other ingredients, then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Let it melt and stir together. Cook the tomato paste mixture for 7-9 minutes. Toss every 1-2 min, it’s okay if it gets a bit brown on the bottom- it adds more flavor!
- While the tomato paste is cooking, boil water with salt for the pasta.
- Pour the vodka into the pan over the tomato paste and scrape up all golden brown bits from the bottom. Mix all of the ingredients together. Adjust the heat to low and add the non-dairy cream. Stir until combined and let it simmer on low heat.
- Transfer ⅔ cup of pasta water and shredded parmesan to the sauce and stir together. Add more salt to taste and/or more cheese.
- Transfer the al dente pasta to the sauce and toss until fully coated. If you want the sauce to be saucier, add more pasta water. If you want a more sticky texture, add more cheese. Enjoy!
Well, what'd you think? Pretty easy to tell why it's a favorite around my household. Let me know in the thoughts below! And if you enjoyed this dinner, try switching from a red sauce to a green with my Spinach Pesto recipe!
Sarah S.
Made this for dinner this week for the fam -- everyone loved it! It was super easy and quick, a little more effort than a store bought sauce but I have yet to find a good store bought vodka sauce so this is now the go to! Also, we added some green beans for veggies!