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Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage

November 13, 2018 by Edyta 12 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
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  • Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie) - December 8, 2022
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Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage is my newest addiction. The luscious, creamy sauce paired with the spiciness from the sausage, makes for an irresistible dish. When I served it in my house, all I heard “Ummm…this is so good.” I’m serious, this pasta has earned its way into heavy rotation in our house from the first bite!

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.

Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage in a skillet with cheese and water on a side

Featured below is the simple version of vodka sauce (that comes together in 20 minutes), but if you’re up for a challenge then you can make this Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola (best vodka sauce recipe ever) and incorporate the spicy sausage at the end. While it does take some more time cooking in the oven, I’m sure you’d appreciate the added effort when it comes time to eat it…but obviously, we don’t always have the added time to invest in the kitchen.

Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage – An Easy Weeknight Dinner Idea.

In our house, we have a tradition of having takeout dinner once a week. Other then that, I cook everything my family eats. Now, that’s not to say that it’s always a fancy dinner or something that requires a lot of time. Like everyone, sometimes I use shortcuts or make something that can be ready on the fly and just needs to go into the oven.

This was one of those nights when I really didn’t feel like cooking but we already had done our takeout dinner that week and we didn’t want to spend too much money. I had a jar of store-bought vodka sauce in my pantry so I figured I can whip up a quick pasta dish.

But, for those of you who’ve come to know my husband through this blog, obviously, he needs to have meat with his dinner. So I sent him to our local Italian market and asked him to pick up some spicy Italian sausage.  All I did was remove the sausage casings, cooked it, added vodka sauce, and then cooked some pasta. I served it and he LOVED it – as did my sons.

He said I have to put it on the blog. He was right, but if I was going to share this dish, I need to make vodka sauce from scratch. So, if this dish finds its way to your family’s rotation then you can thank my husband here; this inclusion was at his urging.

However, by engineering my own sauce the result was 10,000 better than the store-bought sauce (go figure). The effort was so worth it, and it just took about 20 minutes. A super quick and super delicious dinner idea for those nights that you want to have dinner on the table quickly and don’t feel like standing in the kitchen for too long.

Pasta in Vodka Sauce with Italian sausage in a skillet on a blue backround

How to Make Pasta In Vodka Sauce with Spicy Sausage

This is not intended to replace the recipe itself. I just want to show you what you’ll need to gather in order to make this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements, instructions, and nutritional information.

First, gather all the ingredients that you will need to make this pasta alla vodka sauce recipe:

  • Pasta of your choice: it can be penne for a classic penne alla vodka or any short pasta. I used fancy bow ties here but the choice is yours. I do prefer a shorter pasta over a long one like spaghetti, as I really appreciate when the sauce gets into the nooks of the pasta, but again the choice is yours;
  • Onions;
  • Garlic;
  • Dry Oregano;
  • Vodka;
  • Chopped Tomatoes;
  • Heavy Cream;
  • Parmesan Cheese;
  • Salt and pepper;
  • Spicy Italian Sausage;
  • Fresh parsley, for garnish.

Here are the simple steps to follow in order to make this recipe:

Step 1: Heat up a deep skillet and add olive oil. Then add chopped onions and cook until translucent, for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and dry oregano and cook for another minute;

Step 2: Add vodka and let it cook for about 5 minutes until almost all vodka has evaporated;

Step 3: Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, cover and cook for 10 minutes;

Steps to make pasta alla vodka

Step 4: In a separate skillet, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove sausage from casing and add to the frying pan. Break the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until fully cooked and some pieces are crispy on the edges;

Steps to make sausage for pasta alla vodka

Step 5: In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions;

Step 6: Once your tomatoes are cooked, transfer them to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in a few batches. Caution: don’t fill your blender with the sauce more than a third of the way up your blender because you don’t want to burn yourself;

Step 7: Once your sauce is blended, return it to the pan, add cream, mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add shredded Parmesan cheese, check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper;

steps to make vodka sauce

Step 8: Put everything together: add sausage and pasta to the sauce and mix well (you may want to leave a little bit off sausage to place on top for garnish). Either serve from a pan directly or transfer the whole dish into a serving plate, garnish with some more sausage and parsley. Enjoy!

final steps of making pasta alla vodka with spicy sausage

Serving pasta alla vodka with spicy sausage

How to Alter This Recipe for Pasta Alla Vodka

Here are a couple of options if you want to alter this recipe:

  • If you prefer not to use alcohol, simply skip it and you will have creamy, tomato pasta with spicy sausage;
  • If you’re not a fan of spicy sausage, use sweet one or even just ground turkey and season it yourself;
  • Or skip the sausage all together for a vegetarian classic pasta alla vodka.

What to Serve This Pasta with

This pasta is a meal on its own, but you can have a nice appetizer before like:

  • Italian Antipasto Skewers
  • Mediterranean Hummus Platter

Or you can serve it with a nice salad on a side like:

  • Best Greek Salad
  • Panzanella Salad
  • Or any of the salads from this post: 35 Amazing Detox Salads

Pasta in vodka sauce with Italian Sausage in a skillet

Equipment Needed to Make this Pasta Alla Vodka Recipe

  • Deep Saute Pan
  • Frying Pan
  • Blender
  • Cheese Grater
  • Set of Knives
  • Cutting Board

Other Pasta Recipes You May Like

  • Easy Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti
  • Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola
  • Parmesan Spinach Orzo
  • Burrata Pasta with Lemon Basil Pesto
  • Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Brie and Fontina

Pasta in vodka sauce in a skillet with fork

Pasta in vodka sauce in a skillet with fork

Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage

Pasta Alla Vodka with Spicy Sausage is super delicious. The luscious, creamy sauce paired with the spiciness from the sausage, makes for an irresistible dish. 
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Main Dish, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 661kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb Dry Pasta preferably short
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Onion medium, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Butter unsalted
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Vodka
  • 1 can Chopped Tomatoes (28 oz.)
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
  • 0.5 lb Spicy Italian Sausage (about 3-4 links)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dry Oregano
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat up a deep skillet and add butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then add chopped onions and cook until translucent, for 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and dry oregano and cook for another minute;
  • Add vodka and let it cook for about 5 minutes until almost all vodka has evaporated;
  • Add tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, cover and cook for 10 minutes;
  •  In a separate skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove sausage from casing and add to the frying pan. Break the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until fully cooked and some pieces are crispy on the edges;
  • In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions;
  • Once your tomatoes are cooked, transfer them to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in a few batches. (Caution: don't fill your blender with the sauce more than a third of the way up your blender because you don't want to burn yourself);
  • Once your sauce is blended, return it to the pan, add cream, mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add shredded Parmesan cheese, check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper;
  • Put everything together: add sausage and pasta to the sauce and mix well (you may want to leave a little bit off sausage to place on top for garnish). Either serve from a pan directly or transfer the whole dish into a serving plate, garnish with some more sausage and parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 769mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 19.9mg | Calcium: 271mg | Iron: 5.2mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

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Filed Under: Dinner, Ethnic Recipes, European Recipes, Italian, Pasta, Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle

    November 13, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so tasty! The perfect comfort food for a cold winter night!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks Danielle.

      Reply
  2. Suzy

    November 13, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    Love pasta alla vodka! And the addition of sausage here is yummy!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks Suzy

      Reply
  3. Danielle

    November 13, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    5 stars
    I have never tried pasta with vodka in it, but this looks so comforting.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      It’s super delicious. You should try 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sonal

    November 13, 2018 at 3:09 pm

    5 stars
    Vodka and Cream with pasta is a combo made in heaven. Love the look of your pasta. Slurrp.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 3:15 pm

      I couldn’t agree more 🙂

      Reply
  5. Caroline

    November 13, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    5 stars
    For some reason, I don’t ever make pasta alla vodka but I know it’s tasty and can imagine the addition of sausage makes it extra comforting.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      It is very comforting ;0

      Reply
  6. debi at Life Currents

    November 13, 2018 at 5:35 pm

    5 stars
    Everything about this recipe says “dinner” to me – it’s easy, delicious, and beautiful!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2018 at 6:05 pm

      Thanks Debi!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
I’m also a reformed New York State attorney, who practiced for several years only to thereafter decide that this was my real passion. Maybe one day I decided to step back to the courtroom, but in the meantime I’m enjoying spending my time with my kids, my husband, my kitchen and YOU! Read More…

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