Penne Pasta with Vegan Vodka Sauce

This deliciously creamy Penne Pasta with Vegan Vodka Sauce is so rich and decadent that you’d never guess it was dairy free! Penne noodles are tossed in a mildly spicy tomato cashew cream sauce for a restaurant quality dish made in the comfort of your home.

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This post was originally published on 2/1/21.

If you thought plant-based eating meant leaving your favorite creamy pasta sauces in the past, you were wrong! This delectable vegan pasta alla vodka tastes downright sinful without any dairy whatsoever. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I can’t think of a better way to impress your honey.

Penne alla Vodka hit the scene in a big way during the 1980s, and has been a staple of Italian-American cuisine ever since. This tasty pink sauce is a favorite among carb-loaders of all ages, and as soon as you taste it for yourself you’ll understand why.

While some recipes call for wine, beer or other spirits to impart a particular flavor to a dish, not so with neutral vodka. In this recipe, vodka acts to extract maximum flavor from the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes while tempering the acidity of the tomatoes and leaving no lingering flavors behind.

In a non-vegan vodka sauce, heavy cream would also be added to give the pasta its signature pink hue. Cashew cream takes center stage in this vegan version, creating a velvety smooth tomato sauce that will rival your favorite Italian restaurant. As an added bonus, it’s completely soy free and much healthier than the omnivorous kind!

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

This simple Pasta Alla Vodka recipe is made with mostly pantry ingredients, many of which I’d bet you already have on hand. And best of all, it can be made in just about 30 minutes!

Here is everything you need.

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta – While I used penne for this particular recipe, you can easily substitute any short, textured, hollow noodle in its place. Rigatoni, ziti, rotini, or mostaccioli would all work great.
• Cashews – Make sure your cashews are raw and unsalted.
• Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
• Vegan Parmesan – I recommend Violife parmesan. It is creamy, melty, and tastes exactly how I remember parmesan to taste. If you don’t have access to Violife, you can make your own parmesan.
• Canned Whole Tomatoes – Wherever possible, opt for organic, non-GMO roma tomatoes.
• Vodka – The vodka in this recipe is not meant to leave behind any flavoring. Feel free to use any decent quality brand that you’d normally keep in your bar.

Recommended Equipment

For this recipe, you will need a high powdered blender. I recommend a Vitamix.These blenders can be pricy, but my Vitamix is, by far, the most used gadget in my kitchen.

You will also need a saucepot, skillet, basic kitchen utensils, and a colander. (<<affiliate links)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One – Make the Pasta

This is as simple as it sounds. Bring water to a rolling boil, add enough salt to make it taste like the sea, and add your dried pasta. Cook according to package directions; different kinds of pasta will have different cooking times. Once your pasta is al dente, strain through a colander.

Pro Tip: What to learn how to make the perfect pasta every time? Check out this helpful article.

Step Two – Make the Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is a staple in vegan cooking, and it’s SO SIMPLE to make! You’ll be floored by how similar it is in consistency and flavor to heavy cream in cooking.

To make the cashew cream, combine the cashews with 1/2 cup water in a high powered like a Vitamix. Blend until completely smooth. That’s it!

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews in warm water for at least 4 hours to soften them before blending them in a regular blender or food processor.

Clean out the blender and add the whole tomatoes. Blend until they are puréed. Set aside.

Step Three – Make the Sauce

Heat up the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s bubbling, add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until onions are translucent and fragrant.

Add the puréed tomatoes, cashew cream, vodka, and salt and cook for another 7 minutes at a low simmer, stirring occasionally.

Pro Tip: Don’t rush! It’s important to let the vodka cook down so that it removes the boozy flavor.

Taste and adjust the salt and red pepper flakes as necessary.

Stir the cooked pasta into the vegan vodka sauce, adding vegan parmesan and parsley. Serve with additional parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes.

Serving and Storing

Serving – Serve immediately with additional parsley, red pepper flakes, and vegan parmesan.

Storing – If you happen to have any leftovers simply transfer them into an airtight container and refrigerate. Leftovers should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Reheating – To reheat your pasta leftovers, you can either cook them in the microwave in 45-second increments or reheat on the stovetop. Note that if you opt for the stovetop method, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of water to loosen the sauce so that it doesn’t stick to the pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

• Skinny Creamy Garlic Sauce with Penne Pasta
• Vegan Lemon Pasta with Cashew Cream Sauce
• One-Pot Truffle Pasta w/ Pistachio Cream Sauce
• Classic Spicy Pasta all’Arrabiata
• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

If you need even MORE inspiration, check out my 11 Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes post! And get all my vegan pasta recipes for easy weeknight meals.

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Vegan Penne with Vegan Vodka Sauce

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Vodka Cream Sauce

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1/2 small white onion
, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup good-quality vodka
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Bring water to a rolling boil, add enough salt to make it taste like the sea, and add your dried pasta. Cook according to package directions; different kinds of pasta will have different cooking times. Once your pasta is al dente, strain through a colander.
• To make the cashew cream, combine the cashews with 1/2 cup water in a high powered like a Vitamix. Blend until completely smooth. Note: if you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews in warm water for at least 4 hours to soften them before blending them in a regular blender or food processor.
• Clean out the blender. Add the whole tomatoes and blend until they are puréed. Set aside.
• To make the sauce, heat up the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add the puréed tomatoes, cashew cream, vodka, and salt and cook for another 7 minutes at a low simmer, stirring occasionally. Note: It's important to let the vodka cook down so that it removes the boozy flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Stir in cooked pasta, vegan parmesan, and parsley. Serve with additional parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes.

Notes

Serving and Storing – Serve immediately with additional parsley, red pepper flakes, and vegan parmesan. If you happen to have any leftovers simply transfer them into an airtight container and refrigerate. Leftovers should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Make in Advance – Feel free to make the sauce up to three days ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. On the night of your dinner, all you’ll need to do is boil the pasta and toss everything together!

Recipe Tips

1. Cook the pasta to al dente to avoid mushy pasta. If you use thicker or thinner noodles, I recommend following the box’s instructions to cook the pasta al dente. Cook times can range from 5 to 6 minutes to 12 or more depending on the variety.
2. Don’t be tempted to rinse your cooked pasta. Doing so would eliminate some of the starchiness of the pasta, making it harder for that creamy sauce to stick to! Don’t worry if the pasta is sticking to each other in the colander. As soon as you add it to the sauce, it’ll be perfect.
3. Don’t rush the step of cooking your vegan vodka sauce for the full 7 minutes. The vodka is an ingredient that helps to draw out the flavor of your seasonings while tempering the acidity of the tomatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 912IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 3mg