How to make the perfect penne with vodka sauce and the common mistakes to avoid

Gigi Hadid, Donal Skehan and Nigella Lawson are all fans of this supremely easy pasta dish, and now we understand why 

Creamy, spicy and delicious: penne alla vodka.

It takes some people a little while to get on board with pasta alla vodka, and that's ok. This extremely popular dish is like the chicken ball from your local Chinese takeaway. It has no definite roots in the country of the cuisine's origin, but you couldn't imagine a menu without it. 

But, vodka?

We know. After a lifetime of adding wine to Italian dishes, vodka can seem a bridge too far. But the reason it works in this creamy, spicy sauce is down to science. Vodka helps the sauce to become more cohesive, and stopping the cream and tomato from splitting in the sauce. 

When do I add it?

Nigella deviates from the pack on when to add the vodka to her sauce, dousing her just-drained pasta in a good soaking of the stuff. Donal Skehan burns his off after frying some bacon and Gigi Hadid adds her vodka after the double cream, which goes against the rules of cooking and in my view increases the possibility of splitting the sauce. 

What else goes in to the sauce?

Tomatoes (or tomato purée), double cream, chilli, garlic and basil. The acidity of the vodka is key to cutting through the richness of these ingredients and helping the tomatoes and cream amalgamate. 

And cheese? There must be cheese? 

Pasta alla vodka demands one cheese and one cheese only: freshly grated Parmesan. If you find the flavour of Parmesan to be too strong, then I suggest using Pecorino, a milder, nuttier cousin that is an extremely child-friendly substitute. 

How long does this dinner take to whip up?

This dish goes from pot to plate in under twenty minutes and the sauce will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. A tip though, if you are making it in advance, go easy on the seasoning as the flavours will develop further over time. 

Penne alla vodka

Created in Italy or New York City, this dish is an instant classic

Servings

4

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (more if you wish)

• 4 tbsp vodka

• 1 tin cherry tomatoes

• 150ml double cream

• 350g penne

• Parmesan, grated

• Basil, to serve

•  

Method

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, fry the onion, garlic and chilli over a low heat for five minutes until softened. Stir in the vodka and bring to a boil. 

2. Once reduced by half, stir in the cherry tomatoes, smashing the tomatoes with your spoon. At this point, put your pasta on to boil. Stir in your double cream, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, cooking slowly for ten minutes. Before serving, add a tablespoon of pasta water to your sauce and toss the pasta through. 

3. Serve with Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.