Penne Alla Vodka

Penne alla vodka is a classic pasta dish that has been around for years. It recently had a burst of popularity due to supermodel Gigi Hadid making it for a Tik...

Penne alla vodka is a classic pasta dish that has been around for years. It recently had a burst of popularity due to supermodel Gigi Hadid making it for a Tik Tok video which went viral and had millions of people showcasing their own versions of the dish. I too decided to join in on the fun and create my version of this classic dish! Truthfully, this dish was super easy to recreate and put my own twist on because at almost any restaurant growing up I would order “pink sauce” for my pasta and at home it is always what my family would make. The beauty of this dish is that it pairs extremely well with a variety of proteins such as chicken, Italian sausage, shrimp, etc. Despite having penne in the name of the dish, you can almost pair it with any type of pasta shape. Some other pasta shapes I recommend are farfalle, shells and rotini. The best part about this dish is that it is a guaranteed crowd favorite, it is a dish that most people are familiar with. It can also easily be made vegan by substituting the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese with vegan alternatives. My two favorite brands to get those alternatives from are Miyokos and Kite Hill. As far as my favorites for vodka brands to use, I typically reach for Titos or Grey Goose. I have found that both work great, truthfully I think any unflavored vodka tastes great in this sauce because the alcohol gets cooked off. For those who do not cook with alcohol, I have heard that lemon juice works as a good replacement for vodka. I have not personally tried the recipe with it, my personal recommendation would be to just omit the vodka from the recipe because it still tastes great. This dish is also a great make ahead of time dish and great to heat up in a pan with some reserved pasta water which helps tie everything together when reheating on the stove. The personal touch I like to add to this recipe is the sauteing of the whole garlic cloves. It not only gives the garlic that roasted garlic flavor without having to wait for it 281047 hours to roast in the oven; but it also flavors the butter and olive oil that I cook the onions in later carrying that delicious garlic flavor throughout the whole dish. The roasted garlic with the acidity of the tomato flavor and richness of the heavy cream marries together beautifully making the dish wanting you to take seconds and thirds. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and my DMs are always open for any tips you may want/need…happy cooking!