Chef John's Penne with Vodka Sauce

This is the incredibly easy and always popular vodka sauce made with pancetta, cream, vodka, and marinara sauce. There are certain flavors in tomatoes that are only brought out if you introduce alcohol into the sauce.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 602 Calories

Ingredients

• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup vodka
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
• 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 cups prepared marinara sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package multigrain penne pasta (such as Barilla®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour heavy cream into skillet, stir briefly, and add black pepper; bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until sauce has slightly reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix marinara sauce and water into cream mixture and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer sauce 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors.

Step 2

Cook and stir pancetta and rosemary sprig with olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until pancetta renders its fat but is not crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour vodka into the skillet, standing back to avoid any flare-ups. Raise heat to high and continue to cook until vodka reduces to about 2 tablespoons.

Step 3

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still chewy, about 10 minutes; drain and return to the pot. Pour sauce over penne and stir to combine. Turn off heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let stand for 5 minutes to allow pasta to absorb sauce. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.