Does store-bought marinara work?

Use 4 cups of any store-bought marinara sauce as the shortcut tomato sauce. Puree the sauce.

What pasta can I use?

Any short pasta that can be coated in sauce would work.

How do I fix acidic tomato sauce?

Add unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time to tomato sauce if it tastes too acidic. Sample the buttered sauce after each addition to improve taste.

Can I use an immersion blender?

An immersion blender or countertop blender can make tomato sauce smoother. I prefer a food processor for preparing this dish. I prepare two batches in a food processor. Bay leaves should be removed from the sauce before eating or blending.

How do I know the vodka has cooked out?

Use the reduced volume as a guide: In an appropriately sized, deep skillet, tomato sauce and vodka reduce by 25% in 20 minutes when simmered and stirred often. A wider skillet will likely reduce the liquid faster.

Pasta Alla Vodka with Paccheri and Parmesan

By Miles CarrOct 12, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

70 min

Total

85 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Pasta alla vodka is a meal for six people that I make using homemade tomato sauce. A quart of tomato sauce goes into this meal; I freeze the rest of the tomato sauce for another night. I puree the tomato sauce before adding vodka. I make Paccheri pasta with cream and Parmesan cheese. Some of the Parmesan cheese is inside the hollow noodles. This is my favorite part.

Pasta Alla Vodka with Paccheri and Parmesan

I boil tomato and vodka sauce in a heavy pot reduced to one-fourth the original quantity for about 20 minutes over low heat, stirring often, until the vodka taste is cooked off. Add cheese to cream sauce after heating and stop when the cheese melts into the sauce.

Paccheri is my favorite shape (large shapes are good for holding sauce), but penne or rigatoni would work well, too. Boil the pasta in salted water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the pan.

Start preparing your own tomato sauce in advance, especially if you want to use extra servings. A puréed tomato sauce pairs well with pasta. I purée two batches of tomato sauce in a food processor to provide additional servings for a complete pasta meal. I like a puréed sauce with pasta. You may also use a commercially prepared marinara sauce that has been puréed. This option cuts the meal preparation time to 25 minutes if you aren't serving all the sauce with dinner.

Why you'll love this recipe

1The tomato sauce recipe yields more tomato sauce than needed to cook a quart of pasta. Extra tomato sauce can be frozen in freezer bags.
2Six servings make a full dinner batch. One pound of short pasta is cooked in sauce in a pan.
3Use 4 cups of canned marinara sauce on days when you don't have enough homemade marinara sauce.
4The pasta takes about 8 minutes to cook. The sauce takes a few minutes to cook in a pan.
5Paccheri's tubular shape makes it good for holding sauce. Other short pasta shapes could be substituted.

Instructions

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat, stirring often, until reduced by 1/4, about 20 minutes.

Stir the heavy cream into the tomato and vodka sauce, then simmer over low heat until heated through.

Stir in the Parmesan until melted and well blended.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet of sauce, and toss to coat.

For the simple tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large casserole pot over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the celery and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves, then reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick.

Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for seasoning.

If the sauce tastes too acidic, stir in unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor.

Pour half of the tomato sauce into a food processor and process until smooth.

Process the remaining tomato sauce until smooth.

If not using all the sauce, let it cool completely, then pour it into plastic freezer bags in 1 to 2 cup portions and freeze for up to 6 months.

FAQ

Yes. Unused tomato sauce can be cooled and frozen in 1- to 2-cup portions in plastic freezer bags for up to 6 months.

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Dinner Pasta Italian Meal Prep Stovetop

Pasta Alla Vodka with Paccheri and Parmesan

Name: Pasta Alla Vodka with Paccheri and Parmesan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce (or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth); 1 cup vodka; 2/3 cup heavy cream (room temperature); 1/2 cup Parmesan (grated); 1 pound short pasta (such as penne, rigatoni, or Paccheri); 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 stalk celery (chopped); 1 carrot (chopped); 2 32-ounce cans tomatoes (crushed by hand); 4 leaves basil (4 to 6 leaves); 2 dried bay leaves; sea salt (to taste); freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, add 1 tablespoon at a time if the sauce tastes too acidic)

By Miles CarrOct 12, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

70 min

Total

85 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

1The tomato sauce recipe yields more tomato sauce than needed to cook a quart of pasta. Extra tomato sauce can be frozen in freezer bags.
2Six servings make a full dinner batch. One pound of short pasta is cooked in sauce in a pan.
3Use 4 cups of canned marinara sauce on days when you don't have enough homemade marinara sauce.
4The pasta takes about 8 minutes to cook. The sauce takes a few minutes to cook in a pan.
5Paccheri's tubular shape makes it good for holding sauce. Other short pasta shapes could be substituted.

Ingredients

Servings6

•1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce (or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth)
•1 cup vodka
•⅔ cup heavy cream (room temperature)
•½ cup Parmesan (grated)
•1 pound short pasta (such as penne, rigatoni, or Paccheri)
•½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 small onion (chopped)
•2 cloves garlic (chopped)
•1 stalk celery (chopped)
•1 carrot (chopped)
•2 32-ounce cans tomatoes (crushed by hand)
•4 leaves basil (4 to 6 leaves)
•2 dried bay leaves
•sea salt (to taste)
•freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
•4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, add 1 tablespoon at a time if the sauce tastes too acidic)

Instructions

1
Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat, stirring often, until reduced by 1/4, about 20 minutes.
2
Stir the heavy cream into the tomato and vodka sauce, then simmer over low heat until heated through.
3
Stir in the Parmesan until melted and well blended.
4
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
5
Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet of sauce, and toss to coat.
6
For the simple tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large casserole pot over medium-high heat.
7
Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
8
Add the celery and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
9
Add the tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves, then reduce the heat to low.
10
Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick.
11
Remove the bay leaves and taste the sauce for seasoning.
12
If the sauce tastes too acidic, stir in unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor.
13
Pour half of the tomato sauce into a food processor and process until smooth.
14
Process the remaining tomato sauce until smooth.
15
If not using all the sauce, let it cool completely, then pour it into plastic freezer bags in 1 to 2 cup portions and freeze for up to 6 months.