Vegan Penne alla Vodka (with Vegan Vodka Sauce)
Feb 28, 2021 • Updated Nov 07, 2023
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Vegan penne alla vodka is a creamy dairy-free pasta sauce with cashew cream, tomato, sweet onion, and garlic: an easy plant-based dinner that takes just 30 minutes!
What Makes This Recipe Great
This is a 100% vegan, dairy free take on classic pasta dish–Vegan Penne alla Vodka! It features a creamy and easy to make, cashew butter based dairy-free vodka sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta.
Vodka sauce is typically made with tomato, vodka and heavy cream with a vibrant orange colour. The vodka is added to the sauce to enhance flavours and contributes to the smooth texture of the sauce. As the name would suggest, the pasta variety used is typically penne!
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: I used gluten-free penne pasta. Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free pasta or regular pasta.
- Reserved pasta cooking water: This is the secret to a super creamy sauce without the need for cream or milk!
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Vodka: The alcohol cooks off, but the flavor remains. However, this is an optional ingredient. Omit if desired.
- Peeled tomatoes
- Cashew butter: I use unsweetened cashew butter, which I find easier to blend than raw cashews. This is another secret to a super creamy sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: Add more or less to desired spice preference.
- Salt and pepper: To taste.
- Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan
How to Make Vegan Vodka Sauce
- Prepare your pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions, al dente. Drain your pasta into another pot to reserve the pasta water for later.
- Meanwhile, prepare your sauce. Add olive oil or vegan butter to a pan over medium heat, and sauté onions until translucent and fragrant. Don’t brown! Next, add garlic, and sauté again for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat to high, add vodka, stir, and cook down until almost fully evaporated.
- Next, add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer pan contents to a blender, add cashew butter, 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer your dairy-free vodka sauce back into the pan and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste. Add additional pasta water as needed to thin. Simmer until incorporated and warmed through.
- Finally, add cooked pasta to the sauce along with additional pasta cooking water as needed and enjoy.
- Garnish your vegan vodka pasta with fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese if desired.
Expert Tips
- To make our vegan vodka sauce, we will be using cashew butter instead of raw cashews. I find this easier to blend completely and a time saver as no soaking time is required.
- If you’d prefer raw cashews, use roughly 1/2 cup raw soaked cashews in place, with pasta water added to achieve the desired texture.
Storage Tips
I highly recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately.
To enjoy, reheat the sauce, thinning as needed with added filtered water, then toss the cooked pasta in the sauce to coat. It’s normal for the sauce to thicken when stored, so reheat it before enjoying your leftovers.
You can store this vegan vodka sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat according to the instructions above.
Recipe FAQs
You can use non-alcoholic alternatives like vegetable broth, white wine vinegar, non-alcoholic white wine, or chicken/vegetable cooking wine. Use them in equal amounts to the vodka called for in the recipe.
Vodka sauce without vodka tastes like a creamy tomato sauce with a rich and slightly tangy flavor. It lacks the alcohol’s warmth and complexity but is still delicious and savory.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Penne alla Vodka (with Vegan Vodka Sauce)
Ingredients
- 10 oz gluten free pasta of choice use Penne for an authentic "penne alla vodka"
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
Vegan Vodka Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup vodka optional
- 15 oz peeled tomatoes
- 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp creamy unsweetened cashew butter
- pinch red pepper flakes to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- to garnish
- fresh basil
- vegan parmesan or grated macadamia nut
Instructions
- Prepare your pasta according to package directions, al dente. Reserve pasta water for later.
- Meanwhile, prepare your sauce. Add olive oil to a pan, and sauté onions until translucent and fragrant. Don't brown! Next add garlic, and sauté again for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat to high, add vodka and cook down until almost fully evaporated.
- Next, add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer pan contents to a blender, add cashew butter, 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer your dairy-free vodka sauce back into the pan and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste. Add additional pasta water as needed to thin.
- Finally, add cooked pasta to the sauce along with additional pasta cooking water as needed and enjoy. Garnish your vegan vodka pasta with fresh basil and vegan parmesan if desired.
Notes
Expert Tips
- To make our vegan vodka sauce, we will be using cashew butter instead of raw cashews. I find this easier to blend completely and a time saver as no soaking time is required.
- If you’d prefer raw cashews, use roughly 1/2 cup raw soaked cashews in place, with pasta water added to achieve the desired texture.
Storage Tips
I highly recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately. To enjoy, reheat the sauce, thinning as needed with added filtered water, then toss the cooked pasta in the sauce to coat. It’s normal for the sauce to thicken when stored, so reheat it before enjoying your leftovers. You can store this vegan vodka sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat according to the instructions above.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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