Best Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta. This recipe comes straight from my late 20's in my city of Rome where a group of friends would make a quick and tasty pasta dish with a handful of ingredients. Panna, heavy cream, was one of the most popular ingredients of the 80's. Here, when combined with onion, tomatoes, vodka, and smoked pancetta, it creates a succulent pasta dish that will leave everyone satisfied. Want to make it meatless? Skip the pancetta, it will still be great!
Song of the day: "Ci vorrebbe un amico" - Antonello Venditti
Penne alla Vodka, a recipe from my Italian late '80s
Despite the fact that recently recipes for Pasta alla Vodka are popping up everywhere, it is nonetheless a blast from an Italian past. Indeed, this recipe for Best Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta comes straight from my late 20's in my city of Rome, when nights out with friends involved, at times, impromptu dinners made, primarily, of pasta, and more specifically, a handful of tried and true recipes such as: spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino, pennette all'arabbiata, spaghetti alla Puttanesca, rigatoni alla Gricia, and this very same Penne alla Vodka.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Penne. Penne rigate, or pennette, remain for me the only pasta shape for Vodka sauce.
- San Marzano tomatoes. Hand crushed or pureed in a blender. Passata would work, too.
- Tomato paste. Sometimes omitted when we did not have it, it gives a true punch of flavor and helps thicken the sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil. The good stuff. Always present in any Italian kitchen. No substitutions, unfortunately, for us.
- Peperoncino. Red chili flakes, optional. A little heat pairs very well with the sweetness of the sauce.
- Salt and pepper. To your discretion, consider that pancetta is salty. It's always best to taste the sauce and eventually add more salt. While there's no going back if it's overly salty.
- Bay leaf. A "surprise ingredient", that, when added, lends a great aromatic flavor.
- Onion. Whatever onion you have, we went with yellow.
- Smoked pancetta. The smoky flavor goes really well with the vodka. Try bacon, or regular pancetta. Or omit for a meatless version.
- Vodka. It's what gives sweetness to the sauce and name to the dish. No substitutions.
- Heavy/whipping cream. We do not want our pasta to be swimming in a pool of cream, overpowering every other ingredient, so we kept the quantity relatively low, but still creamy. Adding pasta water lends creaminess without having to add too much cream.
- Parsley. A sprinkle of freshness and a pop of color. You can omit, but it really works well.
- Parmigiano Reggiano. Italians like to finish most of the pasta dishes with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino. Here it can be omitted, if you wish so.
How to make Best Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta
- Step 1: In a large sauté pan, drizzle in olive oil, add minced onion, bay leaf, and a pinch of chili flakes. Let that render on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Then add your cubed pancetta.
- Step 2: Cook the pancetta until it starts to caramelize, then add the vodka. Let the alcohol cook out, this usually takes a couple of minutes.
- Step 3: At this point add the crushed San Marzano or passata, and the tomato paste. Give the mixture a good stir. Cook for about 15 minutes. Have a pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- Step 4: Now it's time to add the panna/heavy cream. Stir to blend. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. While this is happening, toss your pasta into the boiling water. Cook for the recommended time on the package.
- Step 5: Scoop penne out with a spider or slotted spoon and toss into the pan with the sauce. Add some of the pasta water if it needs more creaminess.
- Step 6: Give the mixture a good stir as you mix the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and serve.
Plating the Best Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta
Finally, it's plating time! Grab a ladle and have the pasta bowls ready to be filled. Scoop 1 or 2 ladles of Penne alla Vodka, depending on your serving size, place in the bowl, scoop some more sauce on top, and finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, a scrunch of pepper, and/or grated Parmigiano.
The flavors of my youth
This Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta tastes exactly as I remember them years ago. That sweetness of the vodka combined with the richness of the tomato and cream sauce is a perfect match. The smoky flavor and the plump morsels of the pancetta are a delight to the tastebuds. The penne are perfectly al dente, as there is no other way for an Italian to eat pasta. The parsley adds a nice pepperiness and freshness, while the Parmigiano gives you that salty pungent edge. All in all, a perfectly balanced dish, that we know would also be a hit at your dinner or lunch table.
Magnatela 'na cosetta
The metal bowls we used are from Flake's, a nice design store in Rome Trastevere, and they each have a different saying on the border. "Magnatela 'na cosetta" is an expression typical of the Roman dialect which means "eat a little something". It shows the welcoming approach of Romans towards food. So, if someone tells you to "eat a little something", it is as if they are inviting you to taste something good!
Buon Appetito! Hope you enjoyed the post, and, if you happen to make this authentic recipe for Penne alla Vodka, please do not forget to leave a comment below and share a picture on social media. We love hearing from you and seeing your creations!
PrintBest Penne alla Vodka with Smoked Pancetta
This recipe comes straight from my late 20's in my city of Rome where a group of friends would make a quick and tasty pasta dish made with a handful of ingredients. Panna, fresh cream, was one of the most popular 80's ingredients. Here, when combined with onion, tomatoes, vodka, and smoked pancetta, creates a succulent pasta dish that will leave everyone satisfied. Want to make it meatless? Skip the pancetta, it will still be great!
Ingredients
- 320 g penne rigate pasta (we used Rummo)
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, minced
- a good pinch of chili flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 180 g smoked pancetta, cubed
- 50 ml (¼ cup) vodka
- 1 can (398 ml) tomato polpa (we used Mutti)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (Mutti)
- 150 ml (½ cup) panna (heavy/whipping, cream)
- a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley
- some grated Parmigiano to finish, optional
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, drizzle in olive oil, add minced onion, bay leaf, and a pinch of chili flakes. Let that render on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
- Then add your cubed pancetta. Cook the pancetta until it starts to caramelize, then add the vodka. Let the alcohol cook out, this usually takes a couple of minutes.
- At this point add the crushed San Marzano or passata, and the tomato paste. Give the mixture a good stir. Cook for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, have a pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- Now it's time to add the panna/heavy cream to the sauce. Stir to blend. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- While this is happening, toss your pasta into the boiling water and cook for the recommended time on the package.
- Scoop penne out with a spider or slotted spoon and toss into the pan with the sauce. Add some of the pasta water if it needs more creaminess.
- Give the mixture a good stir as you mix the pasta with the sauce, and sprinkle some chopped parsley.
- Scoop 1 or 2 ladles of Penne alla Vodka, depending on your serving size, place in the bowl, scoop some more sauce on top, and finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, a scrunch of pepper, and/or grated Parmigiano.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Gloria says
Homemade sauces are the best, especially when you add a bit of vodka. This is perfect for serving guests. They will feel like they are eating in a gourmet restaurant.
Thank you. Only homemade sauces in an Italian household ;)! Yes, this sauce is definitely restaurant-worthy.
Colleen says
This penne alla vodka is one of our favorite pasta dishes. This recipe is so simple, but so creamy and delicious. It's equally perfect for a weeknight meal or for serving to company.
Thank you, Colleen! Yes, you're absolutely right, the perfect sauce for company, as well.
Carrie Robinson says
I just love simple pasta dishes like this! 🙂 And I love ANYTHING that involves pancetta. I am definitely adding this to my weekly dinner rotation soon.
The smoked pancetta here pairs so well with the vodka, you are going to love this!
Katie says
This recipe is so deceptively simple but yields amazing results!! I add a little garlic powder and pepper after the passata but otherwise follow to the letter. The smoked pancetta is the key here and so easy to find in Italy but harder elsewhere. Truly an impressive dish - great for date night or any occasion you want to show love through food. Amazing!! Thank you!
Thank you Katie for sharing your lovely thoughts about this recipe. We are happy you loved it. You are right on point on your description of this pasta.
Ashley says
I'm so glad I found this recipe! I was craving pasta but didn't have time to make the bolognese I normally do. It was such a hit with my family--we loved the salty pancetta. I'll definitely be making this again!
We have an authentic Bolognese sauce on the blog for next time 😉 ! This sauce is just as tasty, but quick and easy. Thanks!
Katie Crenshaw says
The sauce turned out creamy and flavorful. This was such a delicious pasta dish.
Thank you! Yes, a delicious pasta dish, that's what this is.
Amy Liu Dong says
I love how simple and easy to make this dish. I made this for my husband and he liked it. I will add this to our Thanksgiving menu. Thank you!
Thank you! Happy you liked it!
Jamie says
I love the flavor of the smoked pancetta! Made this penne alla vodka for dinner and my family loved it. We all had seconds!
Thanks so much! It's easy to want seconds, with this one ;)!
Molly Kumar says
Oh so yummm and absolutely easy to make. We made this for weeknight dinner and the pasta turned out so creamy and flavorful. Love the combination of pancetta with sauce and pasta.
Thank you, Molly! We are happy to hear that.
Krysten Clark Wilkes says
You had me at penne! Such a delicious pasta recipe. The sauce is flavorful and creamy! My husband's favorite was the smoked pancetta. He couldn't get enough. Definitely going to add this recipe to our weeknight rotation.
Thank you, Krysten! The smoked pancetta is really a nice touch.
Moop Brown says
This pasta looks really filling and tasty and seems like an easy to make meal that everyone will enjoy.
Thank you so much for your comment!