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Top-down view of vegan vodka pasta in a glass bowl.
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5 from 19 votes

Vegan penne alla vodka

My recipe for vegan penne alla vodka has perfectly al dente penne pasta tossed in a creamy tomato sauce flavored with vodka. It takes just 30 minutes to make - ideal for weeknight dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main/Pasta
Cuisine: American-Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Pot for cooking pasta
  • Large pan or Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • ¼ cup raw cashews
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup vodka
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust up or down to your taste)
  • 28 oz canned plum tomatoes
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

For serving

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente-- firm but tender.
  • Place the canned plum tomatoes in a bowl and squish them with your fingers to break them down. Set aside.
    Plum tomatoes squished in bowl.
  • Blend the cashews with ½ cup of water until very smooth. Set aside.
    Cashews blended with water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic followed by the onions. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
    Onions and garlic sauteing in pan.
  • Add the vodka to the pot and mix. When the moisture has evaporated, add the oregano and red pepper flakes.
    Oregano and red pepper flakes in pot.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and add a cup of water. Mix, bring the sauce to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
    Tomatoes added to pot.
  • Stir in the cashew cream and let it all warm through.
    Cashew cream stirred into the tomato sauce.
  • Drain the cooked pasta and mix it into the sauce. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Garnish, if you wish, with fresh parsley or oregano.
    Penne pasta added to vodka sauce.

Notes

  • (Anytime you add alcohol to a pot that's on the stove, make sure you either turn the heat off or very low).

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg