Go Back
Penne and vegan vodka sauce in a black bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Vegan Vodka Sauce

This vegan vodka sauce is rich, creamy and incredibly easy to make! Serve with penne for an ultra delicious penne alla vodka ready in 20 minutes or less! 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Entree, Pasta, Savory
Cuisine: Vegan
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 488kcal
Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Penne Pasta (450g) Uncooked
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • ¼ tsp Chili Flakes (Red Pepper Flakes)
  • 3 cups Crushed Tomatoes (720ml)
  • ⅓ cup Vodka (80ml)
  • ½ tsp Sea Salt
  • ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup Canned Coconut Cream (240ml) Unsweetened
  • ¼ cup Fresh Chopped Basil

Instructions

  • Cook your penne according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. 
  • While the pasta is cooking start your sauce. 
  • Add olive oil, chopped onions and crushed garlic to a pot and sauté on medium heat until softened. 
  • Add tomato paste and chili flakes and sauté together for a couple of minutes. 
  • Add crushed tomatoes, vodka, salt, black pepper and light brown sugar and mix in. 
  • Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes for the sauce to slightly reduce and thicken. 
  • Stir in coconut cream and fresh chopped basil. 
  • Add cooked penne pasta and stir in. 
  • Serve topped with ground black pepper and fresh chopped basil. 

Notes

  1. Vodka - any brand you like. And don't worry the alcohol cooks off, so no one will be getting tipsy from this meal. You don't really taste it at all in the end result, but it does enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. If you don't want to use vodka at all, you can leave it out and just have a creamy tomato pasta sauce. 
  2. Light brown sugar - this is just to balance the flavors and doesn't make the sauce sweet. However, you can omit it if you prefer. 
  3. Coconut cream - use canned, unsweetened coconut cream or switch it for full fat, canned, unsweetened coconut milk. 
  4. Storing and Freezing: Keep leftovers stored in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. It's also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. 
  5. Nutritional information includes penne pasta. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.8g | Protein: 11.8g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.6g | Sodium: 438mg | Fiber: 5.5g | Sugar: 12.3g