Recipe: The Ultimate Spicy Vodka Sauce
An Italian-American classic with a twist
My first real introduction to Spicy Vodka Sauce was when I visited New York. Italian-American cuisine has always fascinated me. It’s familiar yet has a bold, indulgent twist, different from the lighter, more traditional Italian I grew up with in Australia. This sauce, in particular, feels like the perfect example of the New York Italian identity: fiery, bold, saucy, and unapologetic.
This definitely wasn’t a pasta sauce I grew up with. My father and his family are from the Campania region in Italy, where butter and cream rarely make an appearance. But I love the combination of spice and creaminess so much that the moment I tasted my first spicy vodka sauce, I had to figure out its secret and add it to my repertoire.
I’ve just returned from my annual two-month trip back home to Australia (I’m blaming any grammatical errors on jet lag), where I soaked up time with my family and friends while also escaping the brutal New York winter. While I was there, my 13-year-old niece asked me to cook her something. I handed her my illustrated cookbook and told her to flick through and pick a recipe. Without hesitation, she chose my Spicy Vodka Sauce ("Minus the chili, please, Aunty Bunx!").
Vodka sauce isn’t so common in Australia, so she had never tasted it before. She had seen it all over my Instagram and had been dying to try it. I cooked it for her (for the price of her helping me film the process), and she was obsessed, running back for seconds.
Before I flew back to New York, I made a giant pot of sauce for my niece, and my sister and her husband, to store in the freezer for later when I’m not in the country. That night, I went out for a few hours, only to return and find the pot almost completely empty. No reserves left to be stored, no neatly labeled freezer containers - just a family with full bellies and sheepish grins. I was equally impressed and honored that they demolished it so quickly.
The power of vodka sauce!!
The exact origins of this dish are debated, but at its core, it comes from Penne alla Vodka, a dish that gained popularity in both Italy and the U.S. in the late 20th century. Some believe it was first made in Italy in the 1970s, possibly as a way to promote vodka, while others argue that Italian-American restaurants in New York were responsible for turning it into a staple. Either way, it has certainly made its impact, and it’s here to stay.
Vodka sauce has been around forever, but it’s definitely having a moment again thanks to iconic restaurant Carbone and Gigi Hadid. But despite its TikTokification, it’s still a staple in modern Italian-American comfort food.
After plenty of trial and error, I’ve finally nailed my perfect version which I’m excited to share with you. Here are my tips and tricks for the ultimate spicy vodka sauce.
Vodka isn’t essential if you don’t want to use it, but it does enhance the sauce and help unlock flavors in the tomatoes, adding a subtle depth of flavor while most of the alcohol burns off in the cooking process. If you’re cooking this for the kids, best to play it safe and hold off from the liquor.
You'll find recipes online that only use tomato paste (I can’t help but grimace when I see people squeeze an entire tube into the pan), but I prefer to also add whole peeled tomatoes to balance the richness. Tomato paste alone can be too intense and sweet, so the combination gives a more well-rounded flavor.
I also like adding fresh basil to brighten everything up.
To give the dish even more depth and heartiness, add pork & fennel Italian sausages. Remove them from their casings and cook separately in a pan, breaking up the pieces as they brown. Once cooked, add the sausage to the finished vodka sauce.
For extra punch, you can swap Parmigiano Reggiano for Pecorino Romano to bring out a sharper, saltier bite.
For a luxurious addition, top the dish with creamy stracciatella.
I believe the success of a pasta dish relies on the perfect pairing of shape and sauce. I recommend penne, rigatoni, paccheri, or lumache which are all perfect for catching the velvety sauce.
One final touch that makes all the difference is adding cold butter at the end. It helps emulsify the sauce, making it extra silky and giving it that glossy, restaurant-level finish.
This recipe is part of my illustrated cookbook, where I bring my favorite dishes to life through hand-drawn illustrations. If you love cooking and visual storytelling, you can check out more of its pages on my Instagram or TikTok.
Let me know what you think of my twist on the Italian-American classic and Buon Appetito!
Bianca’s Ultimate Spicy Vodka Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
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