Awesome! I cut the recipe in half and sauteed the minced garlic with some finely chopped onion. I also added 1 Tbsp. of basil 1 tsp. of oregano and 1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes along with a couple of teaspoons of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I didn't have mozzarella on hand so I used grated parmesan instead. It came out velvety smooth and was very rich - perfect with a side of garlic bread.
This was a super-easy and quick recipe - perfect for a weeknight. It would make a wonderful appearance to serve at a family function. Overall it was quite tasty and enjoyed by my family. It is quite rich so eat it in moderation. The only thing I could say should be changed is that the tomatoes should cook down more than 10 minutes to burn-off some of the acid - more like 20-30 minutes before adding the cheese and cream. Since my family prefers something with a little more 'kick' next time I would consider adding a few more spices such as an extra clove or two of garlic a dash of oregano some fresh cracked pepper and a few sprigs of fresh basil - especially to garnish before serving! And possibly add about an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese to thicken the rue. Otherwise - it was great!!
update: hadnt made this in a while and kids were requesting so I made it but this time I also added Italian seasonings as per reviewer as well as garlic powder and salt to taste. I also put in fresh mushrooms which was great though next time I would sautee them first as they are a bit soggy. Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!! This was deliciously amazing- like eating in a fancy restaurant! I sauteed three cloves of frosen garlic in olive oil I used one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes 3/4 cup of cream and half a cup of vodka and that was perfect in amount and in taste. This also was soooo quick- it took five minutes.
The sauce was wonderful... reminds me of the Penne Vodka I used to order at my favorite authentic Italian restaurant. The only tweaking we did was using Absolut Citron - it was the only vodka we had in the house! We were pleasantly surprised - it gave the sauce a really fresh taste. We also added chicken to round out the meal. My only complaint would be that this recipe makes literally twice the sauce you need for the pasta. Either double the pasta or halve the sauce.
This is everything you want in a dinner recipe -- it is great for all the palates in my family. It's approachable for kids yet elegant and refined for the grown-ups. And so simple...I followed the recipe exactly except I used lots more garlic because well we love garlic. This recipe also reheats well for lunch the next day. Vodka sauce begs for seafood in my opinion so next time I will serve with scallops and shrimp maybe some lump crab -- but still it was great as written. Thanks!
I thought that this recipe while quick and easy made far too much sauce and the taste of the vodka came out way too strong for my taste...
This is a wonderful recipe! I usually cook the tomatoes down a lot longer to cut the acid. I also add a lot more garlic and some fresh herbs. It's wonderful with seafood or chicked added. My friends rave over this and it's a common request when they come for dinner. Thanks!
it was great! i played around with the sauce since i didnt have the second can of tomatoes and i was missing half a pint of heavy cream- and there was still so much more sauce than needed! you will most def. have too much sauce for 1 pound penne so you should cut down the tomatoes and cream. i used olive oil instead of butter just enough to full the bottom of the saucer. i added one more cup of cheese- you can add so much more cheese if you like that extra gooiness! you can play around with the vodka too i used a little less than a cup. it was delicious and like i said i had more sauce than i needed.
I added a lot. I put in oregano garlic basil red pepper flakes and lots more cheese (even some cream cheese). And there was definitely too much vodka for me. 1/2 cup would be plenty. With the revisions my family enjoyed it alot.
This recipe makes enough sauce for two to three pounds of pasta. The sauce is also extremely soupy and needs to reduce for 45 minutes to an hour. There is also too much vodka and too little cheese and no spice at all. I added oregano salt pepper used light butter and part skim mozzarella and it still tasted heavy (because of the cream). I think for my next attempt (which will be a while because it will take a while to use up the leftovers) I will make the following modifications: Halve the recipe tomatoes cream (partially substitute milk) vodka butter. Double the garlic and cheese (add Parmesan). Add the salt pepper oregano (again) and red pepper flakes. Add EVOO/substitute for butter.
