Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta Sauce {vegan + gluten free} - nyssa's kitchen (2024)

Making homemade creamy vegan vodka pasta sauce (penne alla vodka) is much easier to make than you think! The sauce is super simple, healthy, and dairy free. Made without heavy cream – substituting rich cashew cream instead – and ready in just 30 minutes! Vegan and gluten free.

The best vegan vodka pasta

There’s just something about making a delicious homemade pasta sauce from scratch that makes you feel good no matter what.

We love a classic marinara sauce but sometimes crave something a little more special for pasta night! That’s where this dairy free vegan vodka sauce comes in – or penne alla vodka as many call it.

Typically vodka sauce is made with dairy, but this recipe is dairy free! I’ve swapped heavy cream for cashew cream for an equally luscious / creamy sauce that perfectly coats each and every noodle.

What is vodka sauce?

Penne alla vodka is a creamy tomato based pasta sauce with an origin that is somewhat disputed. Some say it was first created at a restaurant in Italy in the 1970’s at the request of a vodka company to help promote the spirit, and others claim it was first invented at a New York City restaurant. If you’re interested you can read more about the history of vodka sauce here.

If you’ve never had vodka sauce before you might be wondering – what does it taste like? It is creamy, luscious, slightly peppery, herbaceous, and sometimes spicy. As the base of the sauce simmers the tomatoes and onions caramelize and turn sweet and jammy. The vodka offsets the sweetness and adds the peppery finish. Long story short – it’s DELICIOUS!

If you’re worried about the alcohol content in the sauce the alcohol in the vodka burns off as the sauce simmers, so all that’s left when you’re ready to dig in is a bright slightly sharp flavor. That said, if you don’t want to add it or don’t have any on hand you can leave it out of the recipe. It will still be delicious!

Why you’ll love this creamy vegan vodka pasta sauce

This vegan pasta is:

• Savory
• Rich
• Creamy
• Satisfying
• Easy to make
• Gluten free and dairy free
• SO delicious!

Creamy vegan vodka sauce ingredients

I took my time testing this recipe and played around with the ingredients to make sure I got the most delicious and authentic tasting vodka sauce. The first time I tested it the recipe was good, but I knew I could make it taste better. So I went back to the drawing board and after a few more tries landed on this combination of healthy ingredients.

• Raw cashews – Raw cashews are what you’ll use instead of cream or heavy cream in this recipe. When blended with water they transform into the most delicate, creamy sauce that is the perfect dairy free substitute! If you can’t have cashews you can substitute the cashews with a non dairy milk of choice.
• Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic are sautéed with olive oil as the base of the sauce.
• Vodka – What does the vodka do in vodka sauce? It adds a pleasant brightness and a bit of heat to this vodka sauce.
• Diced tomatoes and tomato paste – The combination of diced tomatoes and tomato paste bring the best deep and jammy tomato flavor to this sauce. You’ll simmer them with the onions, garlic, and vodka until concentrated and sweet.
• Dried spices – To add a boost of flavor this recipe uses a pinch of chili flakes (leave out if you don’t like spicy), garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. To make this vodka sauce spicy, add an extra pinch or two of chili flakes.
• Lemon juice – Just a small squeeze of lemon juice brightens up the the vodka sauce and brings all the flavors together.
• Nutritional yeast – Since we’re making this recipe without parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast stands in for that same “cheesy” umami rich layer of flavor.
• Gluten free pasta – Any type of pasta will work but penne or rigatoni are the two most traditional pasta shapes for penne alla vodka.
• Fresh basil – Fresh basil is not at all necessary, but it does add a nice finishing touch to the final dish!

Can you make vodka sauce without vodka?

Yes you absolutely can.

If you prefer to not to use vodka just leave it out of the recipe. The flavor will be slightly different, but it will still be delicious!

How to make vegan vodka sauce for penne alla vodka

Here’s the step-by-step

• Add cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with just boiled water to soak.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are quite soft and translucent.
• Add the vodka, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili flakes (if using) to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes, until the vodka has burned off and the sauce has reduced.
• While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta water for the next step.
• Drain the soaked cashews and add to a high speed blender with all of the simmered tomato base, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and ¾ cup reserved pasta water. Blend on high, until absolutely smooth and creamy with no pieces of cashew remaining.
• Add the sauce back to the skillet along with the cooked pasta. Toss together and warm on low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Season to taste with salt and thin the sauce with a little more pasta water if desired.
• Serve topped with fresh basil and chili flakes.
• In general sauces with cashew cream tend to thicken as they cool. But the nice thing about them is that they are easily thinned with a little water or nut milk.

How to make vodka sauce from marinara

This recipe for vodka sauce is pretty easy to make, but if you’d like a super short cut version you can skip the first handful of steps and use a good tasting jarred marinara sauce.

To do that skip directly to step 5 of this recipe and add a 25 ounce jar of marinara to the blender with soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and just 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Proceed with the recipe as written, thinning with a little more pasta water if needed!

A few extra tips

• Can you make this vodka sauce ahead of time? Yep absolutely! The vodka sauce can be prepped in advance. Just store it in an airtight container until your ready to re-heat it and toss with your cooked pasta. If you make it ahead of time but don’t plan on cooking the pasta until you’re ready to serve it, use regular water when blending the pasta sauce instead of pasta water.
• Can you freeze vodka sauce? Definitely. This pasta sauce can be frozen (without any pasta – sauce only) for up to several months. When ready to use defrost it in the refrigerator until mostly thawed and then gently warm on the stove, stirring frequently and adding a bit of water or milk to thin as needed. If the sauce has separated it can be re-blended before tossing with pasta. Microwaving cashew based sauces for long periods of time will change the texture and I don’t recommend trying that to defrost the sauce.
• How to re-heat vodka sauce: This vodka sauce can be re-heated gently on the stove or in the microwave. In general, sauces with cashew cream tend to thicken after being cooled / refrigerated. All you need to do to thin it is add a splash of water or nut milk until desired consistency is reached.

What to serve with penne alla vodka

This creamy dairy free pasta would be absolutely delicious with a bright and punchy green salad, like this healthy green apple and walnut salad, or a simple arugula salad.

If you’re looking to add more veggies to your plate a side of roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts would also be delicious!

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review therecipe below.It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any changes you made!Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK! We’re so grateful you’re here.

Print

Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta Sauce {vegan + gluten free}

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Nyssa Tanner
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Making homemade creamy vegan vodka pasta sauce (penne alla vodka) is much easier than you think! This recipe is super simple, healthy, and dairy free. Made without heavy cream – substituting rich cashew cream instead – and ready in just 30 minutes! Vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

Scale

See Also

Smashed Potato SaladCashew Chicken {Better than Takeout!}40 Healthy Dinner Recipes to start off the New Year30 Minute Vegan Stir Fry Sesame Noodles | Ambitious Kitchen

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• just boiled water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• pinch of chili flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 12 ounces gluten free pasta
• 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh basil, for serving
• Chili flakes, for serving
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Add cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with just boiled water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are quite soft and translucent – about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the vodka, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili flakes (if using), garlic powder, and onion powder to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes, until the alcohol in the vodka has evaporated and the sauce has reduced.
4. While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water for the next step.
5. Drain the soaked cashews and add to a high speed blender with all of the simmered tomato base, nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and 3/4 cup reserved pasta water. Blend on high, until absolutely smooth and creamy with no pieces of cashew remaining.
6. Add the sauce back to the skillet along with the cooked pasta. Toss together and warm on low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Season to taste with salt and thin the sauce with a little more pasta water if desired.
7. Serve topped with fresh basil and chili flakes!
8. If the sauce on the pasta ever gets too thick all you have to do is thin with a little water or nut milk and re-season with salt to taste!

Equipment

enameled skillet

Buy Now →

knife

Buy Now →

cutting board

Buy Now →

vitamix

Buy Now →

Notes

This vodka sauce can be prepped in advance. Just store it in an airtight container until your ready to re-heat it and toss with your cooked pasta. If you make it ahead of time but don’t plan on cooking the pasta until you’re ready to serve it, use regular water when blending the pasta sauce instead of pasta water.

This pasta sauce can be frozen (without any pasta – sauce only) for up to several months. When ready to use defrost it in the refrigerator until mostly thawed and then gently warm on the stove, stirring frequently and adding a bit of water or milk to thin as needed. If the sauce has separated it can be re-blended before tossing with pasta. Microwaving cashew based sauces for long periods of time will change the texture and I don’t recommend it.

This vodka sauce can be re-heated gently on the stove or in the microwave. In general, sauces with cashew cream tend to thicken after being cooled / refrigerated. All you need to do to thin it is add a splash of water or nut milk until desired consistency is reached.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: pasta
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: italian