How to Make Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is a classic pasta topping. It's a simple recipe that takes about an hour to cook. Mixing quality vodka with tomatoes, onions and garlic, then simmering the alcohol out, leaves you with a vodka-flavored sauce with no alcohol content.

Things You'll Need

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups vodka
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. basil, finely chopped
• 1 can tomato paste

Instructions

1. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until the onions are opaque.

2. Stir in the vodka and the tomatoes. Allow this mixture to simmer over low heat in an uncovered skillet for at least 30 minutes. This gives the alcohol in the vodka plenty of time to simmer away.

3. Add the basil and heavy cream and mix thoroughly.

4. Use as much of the tomato paste as needed to create the thickness you desire. The thickness of the sauce is a personal preference. For thin sauces, you can omit the tomato paste altogether.

5. Allow the sauce to simmer over low head in an uncovered skillet for an additional 30 minutes.

6. Serve your homemade vodka sauce over pasta with shredded cheese and crusty bread.

Tips & Warnings

• As you saute the onions, it's easy to overdo it and burn the garlic. Be careful not to overheat your pan.