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–+ servings

Homemade Vodka Sauce

Overhead photo of homemade vodka sauce in a white saucepan with slices of crusty baguette and fresh basil next to the pot.
Unlock the secret to a restaurant-quality tomato vodka sauce right in your own kitchen with my easy homemade vodka sauce recipe. This creamy, rich sauce blends tomatoes, vodka, garlic, and a hint of spice to create a mouthwatering spaghetti sauce that's perfect for pasta. Best of all, you'll need just 7 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of prep to make it!
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 7 cups

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan or Dutch Oven - for cooking spaghetti sauce with vodka
  • 1 Immersion Blender or Stand Blender or Food Processor - for blending vodka cream sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 TBS Olive Oil
  • 1 large Sweet Onion – small dice (about 2 cups)
  • to taste Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
  • 4 cloves Garlic – peeled & roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – or more to taste
  • 1 ½ tsp EACH: Italian Seasoning & Dried Oregano
  • 2 TBS Tomato Paste
  • 1 Cup Vodka
  • 2 (28 ounce) Cans Whole, Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes – crushed by hand (SEE NOTES)
  • 1/3 Cup Fresh Basil – thinly sliced (chiffonade), plus more for garnish
  • ½ - 1 Cup Heavy Cream – to taste (SEE NOTES)
  • OPTIONAL 1-4 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • Sauté Onions, Garlic, and Aromatics: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
    Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and oregano to the pot. And season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    Add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste is caramelized, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add Vodka and Tomatoes: Add in the vodka to the pot and bring the contents to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 6-8 minutes.
    Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring the contents to a simmer again over medium-high heat.
  • Simmer Vodka Sauce, Then Add Basil: Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pan. Cook, stirring the sauce occasionally, for 20 minutes.
    Remove cover and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    After 30 minutes, stir in the fresh basil leaves.
  • Puree the Vodka Spaghetti Sauce: Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until it's smooth in consistency. Alternatively, transfer the tomato sauce to a stand blender or food processor in batches and blend until the sauce is smooth in consistency. If you use a stand blender or food processor, return the sauce to the pan.
    Return the pan to the stovetop over medium-low heat.
  • Add Cream and Adjust To Taste: Stir in ½ cup of the heavy cream and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.
    Taste the sauce. You want the sauce to have a creamy consistency and slightly sweet taste. Adjust the sauce to taste with more cream, salt and pepper if desired.
    Stir in parmesan and more fresh herbs if desired.
  • Serve Homemade Vodka Sauce: Serve vodka cream sauce with warm pasta and enjoy!
    Alternatively, allow the sauce to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.

Video

Notes

  1. I recommend San Marzano tomatoes for the best flavor and taste!
  2. To easily crush tomatoes with a lot less mess, use a potato masher! Use a slotted spoon to transfer the whole, peeled tomatoes to a large bowl. Use the potato masher to gently crush the tomatoes. Use the crushed tomatoes PLUS the sauce in the can in the recipe.
  3. Heavy Cream: Make sure you add the heavy cream to taste! I suggest starting with ½ cup unless you know you like a super creamy vodka sauce. You can always add more cream to the sauce, but you can’t take it away once you add it!
  4. Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  5. Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
  6. Recipe Yield: Roughly 7 Cups
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 7 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal    Carbohydrates: 6g    Protein: 1g    Fat: 12g    Saturated Fat: 5g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g    Monounsaturated Fat: 6g    Cholesterol: 19mg    Sodium: 48mg    Potassium: 133mg    Fiber: 1g    Sugar: 3g    Vitamin A: 423IU    Vitamin C: 4mg    Calcium: 28mg    Iron: 0.4mg
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian