Just a little crushed red pepper brings your homemade vodka sauce to life. In this recipe, we use only a pinch (or so), but if you’re heat-inclined like us, feel free to be a little more heavy-handed in the amount used.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Creamy, tangy tomato with sweet onion, garlic and Parmesan, and a gentle background heat from crushed red pepper. |
| Primary heat source | 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild. The cream softens it, so add more crushed red pepper if you want it hotter. |
| Texture | Thick, smooth and creamy, with soft bits of tomato. |
| Best uses | Penne or any short pasta, or spooned over baked or grilled chicken. |
| Customization ideas | More crushed red pepper, Calabrian chilies, a chili-steeped vodka, Italian sausage or baby spinach. |
| Before you start | About 45 minutes. Get the pasta water going while the sauce simmers. |
Flavor notes
Crushed red pepper runs 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, but half a teaspoon in a full pot of creamy tomato sauce stays mild. It goes in with the garlic, so it cooks right into the base of the sauce. If you want more of a kick, go up to a full teaspoon, or pass more at the table.
Half a cup of vodka is plenty for this much sauce. Pull the pan off the heat when you pour it in, since alcohol near a gas flame can flare up. Then let it reduce by about half before the tomatoes go in, and give the sauce its full 20 minutes. That simmer is what takes the harsh alcohol edge off, so don’t cut it short.
Not all of the alcohol cooks off, though. Going by USDA’s retention figures, as Idaho State University lays them out, a simmered dish still has about 40% of its alcohol after 15 minutes and 35% after 30 minutes. If you’re cooking for kids or anyone who avoids alcohol, keep that in mind, or make the version without vodka below.
Whole peeled plum tomatoes crushed by hand give the sauce a little texture. But if you’d like it completely smooth, run an immersion blender through it before the cream goes in, and it’ll come out silky all the way through.
Keep the heat low once the cream and Parmesan are in. A gentle simmer is all it needs, and you’ll see it turn a smooth, even orange. Taste before you salt, too, since the tomato sauce and the Parmesan both bring salt of their own.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, or turn the sauce into more of a meal.
- Want more heat? Use a full teaspoon of crushed red pepper, or stir a spoonful of chopped Calabrian chilies in with the garlic.
- Want more chili flavor? Steep the crushed red pepper in the vodka for an hour or two first, then add them to the pan together.
- Want it without vodka? Leave the vodka out and use 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth in its place. It won’t taste quite the same, but it’s still a good creamy tomato sauce.
- Want it heartier? Brown a pound of crumbled Italian sausage before the onion, then cook the onion in the pan with it.
- Want some greens? Stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach along with the cream, and let it wilt.
Serving ideas
Spicy vodka sauce is delicious, of course, with penne, but any pasta will do. Or try it with baked or grilled chicken. The creamy and spicy sauce brings a whole lot of flavor to the table.
- With short pasta. Penne, rigatoni or any tube or ridged shape that holds onto the sauce.
- At the table. More grated Parmesan, torn basil and a pinch of crushed red pepper for anyone who wants it hotter.
- As a pasta bake. Toss it with cooked pasta, top with mozzarella and bake until it’s bubbling and browned in spots.
- On the side. A crisp green salad and some garlic bread for wiping the plate.
Storage notes
Let the sauce cool, then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for three to four days. And if you can, store it apart from the pasta, since pasta left in the sauce keeps soaking it up and the leftovers come out dry the next day.
Reheat it gently over low heat, stirring, with a splash of water or milk if it’s thickened. Cream sauces can separate after freezing, so this one’s best kept in the fridge.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Penne All’arrabbiata: Penne in a fiery tomato sauce with onion and garlic, no cream.
- Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino: Spaghetti tossed with garlic, olive oil and chilies.
- Cajun Tomato Sauce: A hearty tomato sauce with Cajun seasoning and cayenne, ready in about 30 minutes.
50 quick, bold sauces and salsas: classic salsas and fun twists, BBQ sauces with a kick, and dippers with bang. Simple to make, big on flavor.
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Spicy Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1 can whole peeled Roma (plum) tomatoes 28 ounce can, with the juice
- 2 cans tomato sauce 8 ounce cans
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Take the pan off the heat and pour in the vodka. Return it to medium heat and simmer, stirring, until the vodka has reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand or with a potato masher until they're the texture you like, then add them to the pan with their juice and the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream and Parmesan. Keep it at a gentle simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and evenly orange. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the basil and parsley. Toss with hot pasta, adding a splash of the pasta water if the sauce needs loosening, and serve with more Parmesan.
