Carmine's Penne alla Vodka - hands down the BEST vodka sauce ever! A quick and easy at-home version of our favorite Italian restaurant pasta dish! Ready to eat in about 20 minutes. Penne pasta, Italian sausage, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, basil, vodka, spaghetti sauce, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Serve with a salad and some garlic bread for a meal better than any restaurant!
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, cook sausage in a large skillet until no longer pink. Add olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Do NOT let the garlic brown.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add vodka. Using a wand lighter, light the vodka. The vodka will flame up. Place the skillet on the stove and cook for 1 minute or until the flame dies down.
Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 3 minutes. Add heavy cream to the skillet. Bring to a boil and boil until the sauce has thickened. Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Toss the sauce and cooked pasta together. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Notes:
If you prefer, you do not have to flame the vodka. Carmine's recommends flaming the vodka to improve the flavor of the sauce.
I took a shortcut and used a jar of Rao's spaghetti sauce instead of making my own marinara. You can certainly make your own sauce, but I think Rao's sauce tastes just as good as homemade.
My favorite store-bought jarred spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara, Rao’s, and La Famiglia Del Grosso.
What can I add to Penne alla Vodka? I like to add Italian sausage to the sauce. You can leave out the sausage if you aren't a fan. This is also delicious with cooked chicken, bacon, shrimp, prosciutto, or pancetta. You can also add fresh onion, mushrooms, and green peas to the sauce.
I used dried herbs in the sauce because that is what I prefer. Feel free to use fresh basil and parsley. You will need about 8 basil leaves and 3 Tbsp of chopped fresh parsley.