Vodka sauce, an American Italian tomato sauce, created sometime in the late 1960’s, gaining popularity in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Vodka sauce still appears are many menus in America, but I don’t recall seeing it in Italy.

How Did Vodka Sauce Develop?

There are varied opinions as to its origin. Some say it was created in Rome to boost vodka, and that could be true, but it doesn’t feel very Italy Italian to me. Others report that it started at a restaurant in New York City, when a Chef Luigi Franzese of Orsini’s, needed to thin a sauce, and added vodka and heavy cream.

I recently ate at a new beautiful Italian restaurant in Nashville which served a most delicious vodka sauce, and it was my inspiration to make it again and put a spin on it, adding sausage.

A good tomato sauce has very few ingredients in it. That’s an Italian way of cooking. Onions drive the flavor more than garlic (outside of a few exceptions) and that’s true of this sauce, which uses an entire onion, finely chopped.

What is Vodka Sauce

It’s very simple. Vodka sauce is a tomato sauce with onion, vodka, heavy cream and some red pepper flakes.

Sausage is an option and one we especially like, serving this on rigatoni or penne pasta.

Process

Gather ingredients.

Italian Sausage
Olive Oil
Garlic
Onion
San Marzano Tomatoes
Vodka
Parsley
Heavy Cream
Pecorino Cheese
Red Chili Flakes

Cook loose Italian sausage in same pot you will make the sauce. Crumble into small bite sized pieces. Add diced onion for a few minutes in same pot, then add garlic.

TIP: If you are using whole tomatoes as I do, blend them first. The flavor is best with whole marzano canned tomatoes, but I use a stick blender to make a puree.

Add tomatoes to the pot. Follow with the fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and cook for twenty minutes. Add vodka and cook another 30 minutes on low, making sure the alcohol is burned off. Add in heavy cream, followed by pecorino or parmesan cheese. Cook pasta al dente. Add sauce to pasta. Add the red chili flakes (to taste). You may have more sauce than needed, which can be saved or frozen. Serve with more Pecorino or Parmesan cheese at the table.

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Vodka Sauce

Vodka Tomato cream sauce with rigatoni

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion small dice
1 pound loose Italian sausage
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
handful fresh parsley
few fresh basil leaves if you have it, don’t use dried
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese or pecorino divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound rigatoni (small size)

Instructions

Blend tomatoes to a sauce. I use a stick blender to do this. Set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in large sauce pan. Saute loose sausage until cooked through.
Add diced onion for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and sautè about a minute.
Add tomatoes that have been blended to a puree.
Add in fresh herbs such as parsley and basil (remove later)
Cook for twenty minutes.
Add in vodka.
Stir, simmering on low for twenty or more minutes. Taste to make sure alcohol has burned off before adding in cream.
Add in heavy cream. Stir.
Stir in a 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Add in crushed red pepper.
Cook pasta according to directions for al dente.
Serve pasta in large bowl, and add just enough of the sauce you need, making sure to scoop up the sausage into the bowl. You may have some sauce left over.
Serve with more parmesan or pecorino cheese.