Best Penne alla Vodka Recipe

I think a good start to any a la vodka sauce is the pancetta. I started this recipe by browning 6 slices of pancetta without any oil and adding the sausage to the drippings, then launched into everything else. I also upped the vodka quantity to 1/4 of a cup and upped the heavy cream to 3/4 of a cup. I completely omitted the salt. I used Contadina crushed tomatos with roasted garlic. The meal was definitely "restaurant quality"

It was a last minute decision to make this as we had heavy cream left over from Easter. We only had North American style side bacon on hand (not back bacon or what is also called Canadian bacon-but not by Canadians). Used 93g which is 1/4 package (packages are no longer 1lb and this is about 2 1/2-3 strips), cut into 1/2 inch pieces and fried it until it was fairly well done-almost crispy. Used all of the fat that was rendered to fry the garlic. Did NOT add olive oil. Also used San Marzano canned tomatoes for their superior flavour. It turned out absolutely wonderful.

I've made this repeatedly, my family loves it. I save it for special occasions, especially after hiking and skiing. Now that I practically have it memorized, I am not sure I get all the proportions right every time and it still works. Sometimes more cream/sausage/garlic...doesn't really matter. The only change I made after a few times is putting the vodka in while the tomatoes are simmering. The longer the tomatoes simmer, the better, I like to give it a half hour even though it says 15 minutes.

Here’s what I did to modify this recipe from 4 to 5 stars: I cut the olive oil in half, and then drained it after the meat was browned. I didn’t need that extra fat in my sauce. I used 3 sweet Italian sausage links instead of 2, and then I doubled the cream. My family LOVED this one after those changes!

So easy and delicious. I made a couple small changes: 1) substituted diced pancetta for the sausage, 2) reduced the olive oil to a couple of tbsps, 3) added one onion, which I sauteed with the garlic, 4) upped the vodka to 1/4 cup. Followed everything else and it turned out great.

Very good but... I personally think it was too much pasta for this recipe; half a lb. would've been perfect. I slightly modified the recipe by adding 2 tbsp. chopped red onion, 6 thinly sliced white mushrooms, increased vodka by a 1/4 cup, and using spicy Italian instead of sweet (couldn't find it). I browned the sausage, then drained the fat, return sausage to skillet and then sautéed garlic, onion, mushrooms and red pepper flakes, stirring until garlic browned. Also I didn't add any salt...my husband and I skip it in all our recipes. We'd rather use fresh herbs and spices instead. It is definitely a keeper but next time either I double the sauce or I cut down half the amount of pasta. Thank you Star Pooley for sharing with us this fabulous recipe.

I made this tonight for the first time. It was Delicious, but I did some changes. I used a spicy breakfast sausage browned and crumbled up, along with a package of andouille sausage, sliced up. I also diced up half of a red, orange and yellow bell peppers. I diced up a half of a yellow onion as well and cooked with the garlic, after the meat was cooked. I also added 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning spice. I used the crushed tomatoes but a regular size can and a regular sized can of diced tomatoes & a jar of pasta sauce w/ basil & garlic added in it. I served it with fresh shredded parmesan cheese along with the parsley on top. My husband loved the extra spiciness to it because of the spicy sausage. I'll definitely make this again! Thank you 😋

Delicious! Added pancetta and portobello mushrooms to the italian sausage. Added 1 Tablespoon brown sugar to reduce tomatoes acidity. In the end, before fresh parsley, added dried basil. Turned out delicious, served with parmesan!

I doubled the sausage and kept out the vodka when I brought it to my work's holiday pitch-in. I made about double the recipe and kept it warm in the crock-pot and it was a HUGE hit. All of it was eaten, even though it was the last dish for people to be able to get when walking down the line. We've made this recipe in my home a number of times just as written and have always received wonderful responses. It is extremely easy to make and can appease everyone. If you want to make it a little spicier, make sure you get hot italian sausage and add some cayenne to the mix. I would also recommend adding about a tsp of onion powder and tsp of oregano or basil when you let the sauce simmer, if you'd like.

Big mood: making this again.

We love this recipe, but I made a few modifications: I used beef instead of sausage, added about a cup of chopped onion, 1/4 cup of vodka, and a cup of cream. I brown the meat, drain it, then add salt, pepper, crushed pepper flakes, then the garlic and onion. After I sautee it, I follow the rest of the instructions. It comes out pretty awesome, and all of my family loves it!

Delicious!

Used chicken instead of sausage because that's what I had on hand. Used x2 tablespoons sugar because it helps balance the acidity. Used Rotel Ghost pepper 2 tablespoons for heat and color.

I super browned the sausage because I like the crispy bits. It’s another level 🤤😋

Even my dog looked jealous.

So easy and tastes fantastic!

Amazing

I have made and eaten better penne alla vodka recipes than this. While I enjoyed the addition of the italian sausage, the sauce itself was somewhat bland. It should be noted that I did not have the red pepper flakes, so that also could have contributed to the loss of flavor.

I just left out the sausage bad tummy 🤣☺️

I love this recipe, it’s always a huge hit. I have one piece of advice: Do not use any of the olive oil. It masks the flavor of the dish, and it makes it too heavy, causing the sauce to fall to the bottom of the dish. Also if you like spice like I do, add more peppers!