Pasta is my emergency meal. I always have at least one box of pasta in the pantry, as well as some ingredients to whip up an easy sauce. I can pull out frozen spinach or chicken sausage from the freezer, and some cheese or random vegetables from the refrigerator and whip up something delicious. Now that I have fresh herbs in my garden as well, I can add something to really spruce up an easy pasta dish. On days that I want to have a sauce that takes a little bit more time (but is still really simple to make), I make this gnocchi alla vodka.
The good news about this vodka sauce recipe is that a lot of the ingredients are things you probably have on hand or are ingredients that keep well in the pantry. That means you can make homemade vodka sauce anytime! It’s a little spicy, a little creamy, and full of delicious tomato flavor. Of course you can use whatever kind of pasta you would like (penne alla vodka is a popular choice), but I’ve always loved gnocchi and think it pairs perfectly with this creamy tomato sauce.
Homemade vodka sauce may seem like it has a lot of ingredients and tempt you to pick up a jar of store-bought, but trust me that the 20 minutes it takes to whip up and getting your ingredients together are worth it. Onion, garlic, herbs, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, vodka, and fresh cream? Sign me up because that sounds like the perfect cozy dinner. Serve in a shallow bowl with a generous handful of parmesan cheese and crusty bread to soak up all of that delicious sauce!
- 2 lbs. gnocchi (I used store-bought)
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp. - ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- ¼ cup vodka
- 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese + more for topping
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. milk
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While waiting for your water to boil, make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot and add onions and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Add red pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes before adding vodka. Allow the vodka to simmer.
- Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you're sauce is splattering, you can add a lid to the pot.
- Transfer mixture to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pot and add parmesan cheese, cream, and milk. Stir to combine, then add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Combine the sauce and the gnocchi and serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
Like what you see? Pin it here!
Leave a Reply