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    Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Penne Alla Vodka with Parmigiano and Fresh Oregano (Vodka Pink Sauce)

    Published: Feb 20, 2020 · Modified: Jun 3, 2020 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Penne alla vodka is a decadent pink vodka sauce, cooked low and slow with fresh oregano, sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a healthy amount of Parmigiano.

    Penne alla vodka is a decadent pink vodka sauce, cooked low and slow with fresh oregano, sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a healthy amount of Parmigiano.

    Inspired by Penne Alla Vechia Bettola

    I am a HUGE Ina Garten fan and I mean HUGE. I LOVE her! She makes a lot of the same recipes I grew up on and I try to not miss any of her shoes.

    This time Ina had her favorite Italian restaurant, Nick & Toni’s as a guest on her show and  introduced the most mouth-watering dish you will ever lay taste buds on. I am telling you, run and make this penne alla vecchia bettola

     Actually, the recipe translates to  “Pens of the old tavern.” Can anyone help clarify this for me. So instead, let’s just bring it back to its roots and call it what it is… penne alla vecchia bettola … AKA, the best pink vodka sauce you have ever made.

     

    Penne alla vodka is a decadent pink vodka sauce, cooked low and slow with fresh oregano, sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a healthy amount of Parmigiano.

    The Key to Making The Best Pink Sauce

    This heavenly pink vodka sauce is not a quick 30 minute dinner, but instead cooks low and slow for at least an hour.

    After sauteing onions, garlic and reducing a good amount of vodka, sweet San Marzano tomaotoes are added and then everything cooks in the oven low and slow for an hour.

    The slow cooking reduces the plum tomatoes, condensing the flavor and making a luxurious rich sauce.

    Once the sauce base is done, blend everything until smooth and stir in heavy cream and a good amount of freshly grated Parmigiano Regiano and fresh oregano.

    Penne alla vodka is a decadent pink vodka sauce, cooked low and slow with fresh oregano, sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a healthy amount of Parmigiano.

     

    How to Make Penne Alla Vodka

    1) Start off in an oven proof pan. Olive oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic, dried oregano and red pepper flakes go in. Saute for a few minutes.

     

    Start pink vodka sauce by sauteing onions, garlic and oregano in olive oil.

    2) When onions are cooked down a little bit, let’s say, 3-4 minutes, add about 1 cup (or so…) of Vodka. I turn the heat up after adding the alcohol so the alcohol cooks off.

    Cook for a few minutes until the alcohol reduces.

    Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

    3) Now this is the messy part! I only use San Marzano tomatoes. They are super juicy and very sweet. Take the can of whole plum tomatoes and drain the liquid out. Don’t worry, the tomatoes are juicy enough! Crush the whole tomatoes with your hands and put them in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

    The juice will get everywhere! So do it slowly! I still find tomato juice somewhere on the kitchen walls after I make this pink sauce…but it is so worth it!

    And don’t worry about how much you crush the tomatoes, you’re going to blend it up later anyway.

    4) Then place oven-proof lid, and put in the oven for 1hr at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

    After deglazing with vodka, add whole San marzano tomatoes and palce in oven to cook for an hour.

    5) While your sauce is cooking in the oven, get your pasta water boiling and cook your pasta. I like to have the pasta ready at about the same time I’m blending the sauce. Also, I used rigatoni instead of penne here. The rigatoni is huskier and can handle such a substantial sauce. I really thought it just worked out better.

    6) After an hour  the tomato mixture comes out caramelized and condensed. Let cool for a few minutes before blending it up.

     
    After an hour, tomato sauce will be reduced.

    7) Ladle all this tomato garlicky goodness in the blender and blend until thick smooth.

    Blend tomato sauce mixture in blender or food processor until smooth.

    8) Place the blended mixture back in your used pan on very low heat. Stir in about 3/4 cup of heavy cream, fresh oregano and grated Parmesan.

    I always find the sauce to be a little thick for me. So if you have starchy water already, take about 1/2 cup and stir into the sauce, or just rinse the bottom of blender with all the extra blended yummy-ness and put that in too. It will still be thick, don’t worry!

     
    Stir in heavy cream to tomato sauce to make pink vodka sauce. Add fresh oregano.

    9) So once your pasta is all done cooking, another tip I like to mention, is to use a slotted spoon and ladle the pasta directly from the hot water to your sauce pan. That way you get some of that thick starchy water in your sauce too. Mix the pasta and the sauce together in the pan.

    Toss pink vodka sauce with penne pasta.

    10) At this point I add a little more Parmesan and top with more fresh oregano and drizzle of olive oil (doesn’t hurt, right?)

    Vodka Pink Sauce

    Penne Alla Vodka (Vodka Pink Sauce Recipe)

    Samantha Ferraro
    Penne alla vodka is a decadent pink vodka sauce, cooked low and slow with fresh oregano, sweet San Marzano tomatoes and a healthy amount of Parmigiano.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 503 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • Olive oil for drizzling
    • 1/2 onion chopped
    • 3 cloves of garlic chopped
    • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 tbsp dried oregano
    • 1 cup vodka
    • 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
    • 1 pound penne or rigatoni pasta
    • Few sprigs of fresh oregano plus more for garnish
    • 3/4 cup heavy cream
    • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and heat a pan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add chopped onions, dried oregano and red pepper. Cook until onions caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
    • When onions cook down, carefully add vodka. Turn the heat up and allow vodka to reduce, while stirring with a spatula.
    • Next, gently crush the whole San marzano tomato with your hands and add them to the pan with all its juices. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Place oven-proof lid on and place the oven for 1 hour.
    • While your sauce is cooking in the oven, get your pasta water boiling and cook your pasta.
    • After an hour, remove tomato sauce from oven and blend sauce in blender or food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is blended.
    • Place the blended mixture back in your used pan on very low heat. Stir in heavy cream, fresh oregano and freshly grated Parmigiano. Add cooked pasta to sauce and 1/2 cup of pasta water if it is too thick.
    • To serve, spoon in bowl and top with more Parmigiano, fresh oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

    Notes

    Any type of canned tomatoes will work here, including whole or chopped tomatoes, since it will all be blended together anyway.
    Save some starchy pasta cooking water, to add to the sauce if it's a bit thick.
    Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

    Nutrition

    Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 331mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 946IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword penne alla vodka, penne vodka sauce, pink vodka sauce
    Tried this recipe?Let us know on Instagram!

    Other favorite Pasta recipes to try:

    Linguini with Clams

    Traditional Bolognese Sauce

    Orechiette with Swiss Chard and Lemon

    This post was updated 2/20/20 with added nutrition information and tips

    More Italian Recipes

    • Four Cheese Gnocchi Al Forno with Sausage
    • Bolognese Pizza
    • Italian Charcuterie Board
    • Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pistachios

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christine's Pantry says

      August 27, 2011 at 6:48 pm

      Love pasta.

      Reply
    2. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says

      August 27, 2011 at 9:47 pm

      Mmmm, this pasta looks delicious! And you are right, you gotta mix the sauce in completely with the pasta!

      Reply
    3. thesmartcookiecook.com says

      August 28, 2011 at 5:30 pm

      I love blush sauces like this! I saw this episode too and really wanted to try the recipe. I'm definitely gonna have to now!

      Reply
    4. dinnerordessert says

      September 13, 2011 at 3:02 pm

      I always order this sauce at Italian restaurants but never make it myself! It looks great, I'm going to have to try this recipe.

      Reply
    5. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      February 2, 2012 at 5:43 pm

      That looks more than perfect.

      Reply
    6. Scott says

      October 9, 2012 at 1:00 pm

      Pens, because the shape of the pasta is somewhat like the tip of a quill pen. And La Vecchia Bettola is the restaurant where they learned this recipe, or the restaurant where it was invented, or something along those lines.

      Also, mmmmm. Looks amazing. My wife’s favorite dish. I should try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        October 9, 2012 at 1:16 pm

        Ahhh thank you for those great facts!

        Reply
    7. Mollie says

      December 1, 2014 at 6:24 pm

      Hey, I was wondering if it was intentional to only use one can of tomatoes (28oz), the Ina recipe on the food network site says 2 (28 oz) cans. Mine was a lot lighter than your picture, (still tasted AMAZING) but I was wondering if that was an error. I didn’t have another can to add even after I saw it and it was also too late (after oven time). Thanks!

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        December 1, 2014 at 7:48 pm

        Oh interesting…I believe I only add 1 large can of whole tomatoes, sometimes I use diced tomatoes if that’s what I have on hand. I’ll try 2 next time…sorry about the confusion 🙂

        Reply
    8. Bob Doris says

      December 26, 2015 at 1:06 pm

      Just to clarify the translation, “penne” in Italian means either “pens” or a type of pasta. In this case, the type of pasta. “La Vecchia Betolla” translates as an old (vecchia) sort of restaurant, something like “The Old Dive” or “The Old Joint” (an alternate meaning of “bettolla” is “barge”….hence the use of the word to describe what we might call a “greasy spoon” in English).

      This dish is a mainstay of a great establishment in Florence, Italy, called “La Vecchia Betolla”. It is defintiely NOT a greasy spoon, but a really great osteria (i.e. modest setting, and simple very tasty food). In keeping with the setting, the sauce preparation they use is more straightforward to make than the “Nick & Toni” version. Basically, the pepper flakes are sauteed for a couple of minutes in olio and then passata is added (no other ingredients; no baking in the oven), and the sauce is reduced on the stove top for about 2 hrs. Then the voldka, milk and cream, salt, parsley, and parmesan…all of this just a few minutes prior to serving on pasta just out of the pot. It produces a great result.

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        December 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm

        Hi Bob! Thank you so much for teaching me a bit more of the recipe and where it originates! It is certainly a gorgeous dish!

        Reply
      • Doug says

        August 4, 2019 at 10:19 am

        5 stars
        not sure adding vodka “just before” is such a good idea. The alcohol will help extract the essential flavors of the oregano and chili pepper. What do you think it will do when added at the very end? The ‘flavor’ from the vodka is not, in my opinion the key to the flavor profile, but might be worth discussion

        Reply
    9. carol Mccarthy says

      December 7, 2018 at 11:51 am

      IF i double the recipe should I bake for longer than 1 hr

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        December 7, 2018 at 1:26 pm

        You just want to condense everything so I wouldn’t go longer than 1 hour and 30min. If you’re doing 2 seperate pans, then I would stick with the hour since there is less food to condense.

        Reply
        • Doug says

          August 4, 2019 at 10:15 am

          not sure if people have clarified this… but you seem to have 1/2C onion and then a little later, 1/2C onion. I wondered if this was some clever textural thing… but I suspect it is simply an over sight ie 1 C onion chopped for this recipe. BTW, it tastes delicious! I use Pecorino Cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese. It really is great!

          I suspect that the vodka is helping with spice flavor absorption… since the alcohol will facilitate extraction. Otherwise, probably get a way with simmering a little longer or adding a little more.

          Thanks for sharing!
          Doug

          Reply
    10. Dana Vanhove says

      April 16, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this recipe several times, and always get rave reviews! DELISH!!!

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        April 21, 2021 at 9:54 am

        Thank you so much Dana!

        Reply

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