Ina Garten’s Vodka Sauce {Best Vodka Sauce Ever}

Name: Ina Garten’s Vodka Sauce {Best Vodka Sauce Ever}
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ¼ cup Olive Oil (¼ cup olive oil); 1 cup Spanish Onion (1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups); 3 cloves Garlic (3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced); ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes (¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.) — up to 0.5); 1 ½ tsp Dried Oregano (1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)) — optional; 1 cup Vodka (1 cup vodka); 56 oz Roma Tomato (two 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes (56 ounces total)); 0 pieces Kosher Salt (Kosher salt); 0 pieces Black Pepper (Freshly ground black pepper); ¾ lb Penne (¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like); 4 tbsp Basil (4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)); ¼ cup Heavy Cream (¼ to 1 cup heavy cream — up to 1); 0 pieces Parmesan Cheese (grated Parmigiano or Pecorino)

A rich and creamy vodka sauce for pasta, featuring tomatoes, cream, and vodka, baked in the oven for deep flavor.

135 minItalian

Servings4

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Olive Oil¼ cup · ¼ cup olive oil
Spanish Onion1 cup · 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
Garlic3 cloves · 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
Red Pepper Flakes¼ tsp · ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.) — up to 0.5
Dried Oregano1 ½ tsp · 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.) · optional
Vodka1 cup · 1 cup vodka
Roma Tomato56 oz · two 28-ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes (56 ounces total)
Kosher Salt0 pieces · Kosher salt
Black Pepper0 pieces · Freshly ground black pepper
Penne¾ lb · ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
Basil4 tbsp · 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
Heavy Cream¼ cup · ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream — up to 1
Parmesan Cheese0 pieces · grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

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Steps

1Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.