Name: Penne and Vodka Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta; 2 tablespoons butter; ¼ pound thinly sliced pancetta bacon, chopped; ⅓ cup vodka; ½ cup heavy whipping cream; 1 ½ cups tomato sauce; ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

One of the best and easiest recipes I have tried. You can find pancetta at any good Italian deli, try not to substitute as it makes the dish. This is also very good with shrimp added in the last few minutes of simmering.  If you like spice, add a dash or 2 of red pepper flakes.

Penne and Vodka Sauce

(16 ounce) package penne pasta

butter

pancetta bacon, chopped

vodka

heavy whipping cream

tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.


Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, and saute until lightly browned.  Add vodka and stir until it is reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cream.  Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes.


Stir in pasta, and heat through.   Serve with Parmesan cheese.


I wanted to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor in this recipe, so I substituted fat-free half and half for the heavy cream - no discernable difference in taste and greatly reduced the fat!!  Also added a generous amount of freshly gorund black pepper.  It was a huge hit!

We love this one so much that I made it the night I asked her to marry me!  We use fat free half and half also, and don't miss anything.  I've tried it with regular bacon in a pinch, and it's definitely worth a trip to the specialty store (or aisle) for the pancetta.  The pancetta just gives a great salty bite to the sauce.  I serve with fresh bread and a simple salad.  

Made this for our best friend's wedding anniversary celebration and it was beyond fabulous. They, along with my family, are asking for this dish constantly, even the picky kids liked it. Had a little trouble finding the pancetta but was successful in the end. Also used Gray Goose vokda.  Superb! Easy! You can't get any better than this. I also served with it a warm goat cheese salad, fresh French bread and chocolate Grand Marnier creme brulee.

I have tried other vodka sauces and always come back to this one.   I add one small onion chopped,some garlic and sprinkle chives on the top.  We love it!

Wow...I don't know where I went wrong with this recipe. I used all top-notch ingredients...imported pancetta, top-shelf vodka, high quality tomato sauce, real Parmigiano-Reggiano...it just wasn't that good. In fact, without the good cheese, it tasted a lot like Chef Boyardee. I won't bother making it again.

This is a wonderful recipe!  It was one of the most delicous vodka sauces I have ever tasted and it was so easy to make!  I added two cloves of garlic (minced) in with the pancetta and sprinkled some onion powder and a dash of red pepper flakes.  I would defintely NOT omit the pancetta as that added such a delicious flavor.  This is a keeper I can't wait to make this again.  My boyfriend absolutely loved it as well!

Thank you Rick for posting your recipe. And thanks to all the others who felt they also had to post their recipe under your reviews instead of posting their own version under Recipes.

I just made this tonight. I didn't feel like having penne so I made blackened chicken with mushrooms covered in this sauce. Heaven on a plate.

What a phenomenal sauce! I took the suggestions from other reviewers and added  two cloves of minced garlic,  finely chopped onion, and red pepper flakes for some heat. I also used half and half to save a few calories. My husband thought that I'd gone out and picked up dinner from one of the local Italian eateries until I disabused him of that notion. Served with garlic bread and salad to complete the meal. Excellent!

A tomato and cream sauce flavored with sweet, salty pancetta.

Penne and Vodka Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Cost: $10.31 /serving

Author : Rick Naylor

Ingredients

Instructions

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