Basic Italian sauces are one of the things every home cook should master. A nice vodka sauce is among them! Creamy vodka sauce is even better (at least in my eyes).
Creamy Vodka Sauce is an easy pasta sauce recipe pancetta, tomatoes and cream. Serve over your favorite pasta like Penne alla Vodka!
A few weeks ago hubby and I visited his family in Rochester, New York. It was under unfortunate circumstances due to a death in the family, however one night we ordered Vodka Sauce and Chicken Parmesan from a local restaurant that helped to put smiles on everyone’s face.
Isn’t it amazing how food can change the energy in the room? Full glasses of wine, delicious penne alla vodka, chicken Parmesan and tales of our deceased.
Anyone who knew grandpa has a story and each of us also have a nickname. In fact, I’m not sure I ever heard him refer to anyone by their given name.
I was “the chef”, my husband “lightening”, since he was so fast paced as a child. We laughed, we cried and lastly we hugged before we all returned to our lives, forever changed.
Food brought a close knit family even closer. For days after our return home, I was craving creamy vodka sauce with large chunks of pancetta and felt compelled to make it for dinner.
In fact, I made two dishes, Vodka Sauce and Linguine with Clam Sauce. Our only regret was that we weren’t having our nightly phone call with grandpa when he asked us what we were eating for dinner. Make sure you tell your loved ones how much you care about them and hold them tight.
What is pancetta? Pancetta is Italian cured pork belly. Basically, Italian bacon. And if you can’t find pancetta or it is too expensive (check near the deli), you can use cut up bacon.
If you are looking for more Italian classics, here are a few!
If you liked this Easy Dinner Recipe, snag a copy of my Easy Dinner Recipes Mini-Cookbook. Available here for only $0.99, here is a small collection of time-saving, hearty and satisfying dinners guaranteed to get you in and out in 30 minutes or less!
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup pancetta prosciutto or ham
- 2 cups vodka
- 56 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup hand torn basil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound cooked pasta al dente
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, sauteing for 2-4 minutes. Add garlic and pancetta, sauteing for another 3 minutes.
- After onion and garlic have softened, stir in vodka and crushed tomatoes, bringing to a low a simmer. Allow to reduce and thicken, approximately 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream, basil, salt and pepper until combined. Toss with pasta, allowing to heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
