Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe

Rating 5.0
| 3
Spicy vodka pasta is a piquant twist to the traditional vodka pasta. Creamy tomato sauce is paired with aromatic crushed red pepper flakes for a distinctively fiery sauce that can be adjusted to your taste.
Utensils Dinner
Globe Italian
15
ingredients
9
steps
30
minutes
Giselle is a recipe developer and content creator that loves all things sweet and savory. She runs her own food blog, The Busy Spatula, and her work has been featured on Yahoo!, Marvel Studios and the Kitchn.

Ingredients

Servings:
4
2 tblsp
extra-virgin olive oil
1
onion, finely diced
4
garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 tsp
crushed red pepper flakes, see notes
2 tblsp
tomato paste
1/4 cup(s)
vodka
one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup(s)
reserved pasta water, divided
1/2 cup(s)
heavy cream
1/2 cup(s)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1-2 tsp
sugar, if needed
1 tblsp
unsalted butter
12 oz
dried rotini, fusilli or penne
salt and pepper, to taste
minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions 9 steps | 30 Minutes

Step 1

Measure and prep all ingredients. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

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Step 2

While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely diced onions and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.

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Step 3

Add the garlic and crushed pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. (See notes 1.)

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Step 4

Add the tomato paste and cook until slightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes.

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Step 5

Add the vodka to deglaze the pan and cook while stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes.

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Step 6

Stir in the crushed tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce while the pasta is cooking, about 8-10 minutes.

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Step 7

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Stir in ½ cup of pasta water, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer the saucefor about 1-2 minutes. Taste and add the sugar, if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Step 8

Stir in the butter until it melts. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce. Use the remaining pasta water to thin out the sauce if needed. 

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Step 9

Top the pasta with more Parmesan cheese before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

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Notes:

  1. If you like the pasta to be slightly spicy, add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. If you want it to be spicy, add 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Nutrition Per Serving
View All
CALORIES
707
FAT
27.5 g
PROTEIN
22.8 g
CARBS
87.7 g

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3 Comments
3 Comments
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Fred M.

Fred

29 Jul 2022

The perfect amount of spice paired with a rich creamy sauce!

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Audrey H.

Audrey

18 Jul 2022

I love a good vodka pasta and this one does not disappoint! If you aren't a fan of spicy food like me, you can just leave out the red pepper flakes and voila! Very easy to also add protein to this dish if you prefer!

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Glen B.

Glen

11 Jul 2022

Make me want to cook pasta this week.

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