Spicy Vodka Pasta

A quick Spicy Vodka Pasta with a creamy, rich, and spicy sauce - ready in 15 minutes! Cooking the tomato paste to a deep red and finishing with cream gives the sauce the perfect depth and richness.

JUMP TO RECIPE

This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes! Give your pasta water a head start while you prep the ingredients so it comes together seamlessly. Cooking the tomato paste for 5 minutes prior to finishing the sauce builds deep, complex flavor. You'll see it go from bright red to a deep, rust colored red.

This recipe is SPICY, and gets it's heat from a generous amount of red pepper flakes. A common mistake is adding without tasting. If you don't love a ton if heat, a good way to fix this is to add a little red pepper flakes at a time- since you can always add more.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Notes
• Technique & Troubleshooting
• Substitutions & Additions
• What to serve with the Spicy Vodka Pasta
• Video
• Storing and Reheating
• More delicious pasta dishes

Ingredient Notes

• Butter. I use unsalted for this recipe. If going with salted, adjust seasoning as needed.
• Red onion. You could also use shallot, white or yellow onion.
• Garlic cloves. You can either slice these ultra-thin, or mince them.
• Tomato paste. You can use a tube or the canned stuff. Got leftover canned? Freeze it in ice cube trays and stick it in a freezer bag for later!
• Vodka. A little goes a long way here. If you don't have or don't want to use vodka, you can choose to deglaze with a bit of water, or some dry white wine.
• Red pepper flakes. This recipe goes heavy on these for the spice factor. If you'd like your pasta a little less hot, try reducing the amount you add to the sauce. You can always add more!
• Heavy cream. This imparts a rich, luxurious and creamy texture to the decadent sauce. Don't skimp!
• Reserved pasta water, to help thin the sauce a bit and add body. You'll need ¼ cup of pasta water for this recipe. 
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese. This will be added to the sauce at the very end, and putting a little on top for serving never hurt anyone ether.
• Fresh basil leaves, for serving. This is optional, but highly recommended to add a fresh bite to the rich and spicy sauce.
• Pasta. This recipe calls for orecchiette (aka "little ears" in Italian) which hold the sauce perfectly. Other great options would be rigatoni, penne, pappardelle, or shell pasta.

Technique & Troubleshooting

Darkening the Tomato Paste	Cooking the tomato paste for 5 minutes is known as "toasting". This gives the tomato paste a more complex flavor, reduces acidity, and intensifies its flavor.
Thickening (or thinning) the Sauce	If your sauce is a bit on the thick side, you can add additional pasta water. If it's too thin, you can add a bit of extra grated Parmesan to thicken it up, or cook it a bit longer to reduce before adding in your pasta.
Spice Level Adjustments	This is a spicy vodka pasta recipe! If you want the sauce to be a little less intense, start with only ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and add to taste. The intensity of the red pepper flakes can vary from brand to brand, and dulls when the spice is aged, so be sure to taste until you are happy with the spice level.

Substitutions & Additions

Here are a few ideas you can use to add to the spicy vodka pasta, or substitute with what you have on hand:

• Add in some crumbled Italian sausage and/or chopped veggies, such as zucchini or bell peppers.
• Try crushed tomatoes or tomato puree in place of the tomato paste, just be sure to add more cook time to allow it to reduce and thicken.
• Use chicken stock or water in place of vodka to deglaze the pan for an alcohol free version.

What to serve with the Spicy Vodka Pasta

This pasta goes great with a side salad and some classic garlic bread. I also love it with a simple veggie pairing, like roasted asparagus or garlic broccolini. A great glass or dry red or white wine pairs beautifully, too!

Video

Watch the video below for a quick guide on how the pasta comes together, and what visual cues to look out for!

Storing and Reheating

Storing. Store any leftover pasta in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheating. To reheat the Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka, warm through in a pan gently with a bit of added water or cream. 

More delicious pasta dishes

If you loved this Spicy Vodka Pasta recipe, these tasty and creamy pastas are right up your alley:

Try my easy Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce- perfect for any pasta!

Make my easy weeknight Spicy Sausage Pasta.

Whip up a batch of my Cheese Tortellini with Roasted Tomato and Sausage Cream Sauce.

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