Skinny Penne Alla Vodka Sauce

Submitted by Nancy Fox

"This restaurant quality pasta dish is absolutely delicious. The luscious, creamy, tomatoey vodka sauce is rich, slightly spicy, with just a zing of vodka. Penne Alla Vodka became quite popular in the late 80‘s and is still popular today… Normally it includes real cream for richness but I'm using reduced-fat milk. Great news though, it still retains the decadent flavor of a regular recipe but with a fraction of the fat and calories. In addition, I've placed it over fiber rich whole wheat penne instead of white pasta. The key to this sauce is using a premium vodka… It adds a clean, fresh taste. A less expensive brand will give a harsh taste. This skinny pasta dish has only 347 calories, and 7 grams of fat compared to Sbarro’s Penne Alla Vodka at 640 calories and 28 grams of fat. Hope you try it soon. It’s simply delicioso…"

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup premium quality vodka
• 1 cup reduced-fat milk
• 12 ounces whole wheat penne
• 6 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

directions

1. In a blender or food processor, puree half the canned tomatoes until smooth. Chop the remaining tomatoes into ½ inch pieces, discarding the cores.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook until the onions are light golden, about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the pureed and chopped tomatoes and add the salt. Remove pan from heat and mix in the vodka. Return the pan to medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until the alcohol flavor is cooked off, about 8 minutes. Lower the heat if the simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in the milk and cook about 1 minute more until hot.
4. In the meantime, in a large pot, cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Make sure to cook al dente, not over cooked. Drain.
5. Return the drained pasta to the pot, add the cooked sauce, and mix until combined. Cook over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
6. Plate each serving and top with 1 tablespoon of cheese and a little basil.

Reviews

[robertabarbara]

This recipe is a 5 star plus. I just made it tonight for some friends. I was attractive to it because it said it was lower in calories and fat. My friends couldn't believe it. It tasted just like a fattening one in an upscale restaurant. Thanks Nancy!

 

[momgrl46]

First off this recipe had way to much vodka! It did not cook off like most recipes do. It was also very thin and bland.

 

[Sarah R.]

first time making vodka sauce and this was a great one to start with. I modified it a bit. I don't care who ya are, a cup of vodka was too much for this dish. I used a litttle over a half a cup. I also used about 3/4 cup of milk. I added garlic to my hearts desire (I'm not a teaspoon kind of gal). I also took it up myself to add chilli pepper and cayenne pepper. Also browned some ground turkey and added it to the sauce. It also needed oregano and Italian seasonings for sure! I'm shocked there wasn't any added into the recipe. I also added half a can of tomato paste since it seemed to be soupy rather than thick. I just went for it. Even with my reductions on the vodka, I could still taste it so I cooked it off a little more and I'm glad that I chose to reduce before I continued.

 

[queenchaos]

I was looking forward to making this at home and added my own touches like some boneless chicken & black olives. It had a strong tomato taste to it. It was not close to anything I have ever ordered from an Italian Restaurant. Maybe using Real Cream instead of Whole Milk might have made this dish taste more like Vodka Sauce than Tomato Sauce.