Penne alla vodka for one is the ultimate quick and easy meal if you’re craving something rich and indulgent but really don’t feel like cooking.
There are a handful of single-serve pasta recipes on the site: mac and cheese, fettuccine Alfredo, buttered noodles, etc. These recipes have always been pretty popular because sometimes you just want a bowl of carbs for dinner even if you’re flying solo.
And since I’ve been having so much fun working with vodka sauce the last couple of months, I thought this would be the perfect time to shrink things down and post penne alla vodka for one.
This recipe makes just a single serving of my favorite smooth and creamy vodka sauce that you can serve over penne, rigatoni, or whatever pasta you currently have stocked.
This is pretty much the ultimate quick and simple meal if you’re craving something rich and indulgent but reeeeeeally don’t feel like cooking.
There’s no chopping required (as long as you own a garlic press) and the sauce takes about 15 minutes to make including prep time.
So start prepping your ingredients while your pasta water comes to a boil, and the sauce will be finished, ready to go, and beautiful by the time your noodles are done.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: Even though this is called penne alla vodka, feel free to use your favorite tubular pasta here. I’m a big fan of rigatoni.
- Tomato paste: This recipe will only use a tablespoon of tomato paste, so you’ll definitely have some left over. Check out my post What to Do With Leftover Tomato Paste for storage tips and recipe ideas for the rest of the can.
- Heavy cream: And you’ll also probably have leftover heavy cream. Might I recommend, What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream?
How to Make Penne alla Vodka for One
1. Cook pasta: Bring a small pot of water to boil and salt generously. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
2. Brown the garlic: While your pasta boils, to a small pot, add olive oil and butter. Heat over medium heat until butter melts. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, until garlic is lightly golden and aromatic.
3. Cook the tomato paste: Whisk in tomato paste and cook, whisking frequently, until tomato paste darkens in color and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pot, 2 to 4 minutes. This will cook the raw flavor out of the tomato paste as well as deepen the flavor.
4. Add vodka: Turn heat to low and add vodka (sauce will pop and sizzle when vodka hits the hot pan). Whisk, scraping any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pot, until vodka is incorporated into the sauce.
5. Add heavy cream: Whisk in the heavy cream. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring the sauce up to barely a simmer (do not allow the sauce to come to a full boil.) Adjust the temperature as needed to keep the sauce barely simmering and cook for 3 minutes to help cook the alcohol taste out of the sauce.
6. Add pasta water: When your pasta is almost done cooking, use a heat-proof measuring spoon to scoop out two tablespoons of pasta water and stir it into your sauce. Taste and add salt as needed.
7. Add pasta: Once pasta is cooked, scoop out a little of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta or use a slotted spoon to transfer pasta from the water to the sauce. Stir until the pasta is well-coated and let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes for the sauce to thicken slightly. If the sauce thickens too much or is too thick after you add parmesan, add a little of the reserved pasta water back to the pasta until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
8. Plate: Serve, top with shredded parmesan if desired, and enjoy!
Variations
- Chicken: Add 4 ounces of cooked, warmed chicken breast to the pasta. Shredded chicken or chopped up leftover roast chicken would work great.
- Tortellini or ravioli: If you’re feeling really wild, vodka sauce would be *amazing* over some cheese-filled pasta.
- Sausage: Slice 4 ounces of smoked sausage into rounds and brown them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil before stirring them into the pasta.
FAQ
Do I have to use vodka in penne alla vodka?
You don’t *have* to use vodka in vodka sauce. The sauce will still be creamy and smooth and delicious without it. BUT, the vodka does bring out the flavors of the other ingredients, and the sauce without them is a little flatter tasting and less flavorful.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely. To double the recipe, hover over (or click if you’re on mobile) the serving size in the recipe below and slide the slider.
What to serve with penne alla vodka?
Serve the pasta with a side of garlic bread and a simple green salad or roasted veggies like roasted green beans, roasted broccoli or roasted zucchini.
More Small-batch Recipes
- Mac and Cheese for One
- Fettuccine Alfredo for One
- Buttered noodles for One
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small-batch Cinnamon Rolls
Penne alla Vodka for One
Ingredients
- 3 ounces penne or rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
- 1 clove garlic pressed with a garlic press or minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon (16g) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Shredded Parmesan cheese optional for topping
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to boil and salt generously. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
- While your pasta boils, to a small pot, add olive oil and butter. Heat over medium heat until butter melts.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, until garlic is lightly golden and aromatic.
- Whisk in tomato paste and cook, whisking frequently, until tomato paste darkens in color and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pot, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and add vodka (sauce will pop and sizzle when vodka hits the hot pan). Whisk, scraping any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pot, until vodka is incorporated into the sauce.
- Whisk in the heavy cream. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring the sauce up to barely a simmer (do not allow the sauce to come to a full boil.) Adjust the temperature as needed to keep the sauce barely simmering and cook for 3 minutes.
- When your pasta is almost done cooking, use a heat-proof measuring spoon to scoop out 2 tablespoons of pasta water and stir it into your sauce.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
- Once pasta is cooked, scoop out a little of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta or use a slotted spoon to transfer pasta from the water to the sauce. Stir until the pasta is well-coated and let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes for the sauce to thicken slightly. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little of the reserved pasta water back to the pasta until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve, top with shredded parmesan if desired, and enjoy!
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