One of the best and easiest pasta dinners for one, this pasta alla vodka is creamy, comforting and perfect for a night in. Round out the meal with my house salad and/or garlic bread for one!
Some dishes are almost TOO perfect as a single-serve dish, and this pasta is one of them. Variations of pasta alla vodka (or penne alla vodka) have gotten more popular over the past few years as social media does its thing, but I'm not complaining!
Aside from the fact that it is truly just so delicious, pasta alla vodka is the ultimate "pantry pasta" which also makes it the ultimate "i'm just one person but I also deserve a bowl of beautiful pasta."
What you'll need
Shallot (or onion) and garlic: If you've been around for a while, you know I tend to use shallots more because they are smaller so I can worry less about buying a big ol' onion and then using a quarter of it. With that said, on the day I photographed this I only had onion and it was perfect. Garlic...because duh. Some recipes you'll find use two cloves for an entire pot of pasta, so feel free to reduce the amount if you want!
Tomato paste: The star of the show. I always keep multiple tubes in my fridge/pantry so it's always on hand.
Calabrian chili paste: I love the spice this adds to the dish, but feel free to just use a pinch of red pepper flakes or leave out.
Vodka: Completely forgot to include in the photo but obviously this recipe calls for vodka. If you prefer to leave out, you can use a little water or broth for that consistency we're looking for.
Heavy cream: A must for a creamy, dreamy pasta. See the notes in the recipe card for substitution ideas if you need them!
Pasta: I love rigatoni the most for this one, but penne is probably the most popular. I say any short pasta that holds onto sauce will work here, so use what you've got.
Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan in the sauce and a little on top!
A few additional things: Oil and butter to start and end, basil for garnish if you desire, and while not a true ingredient, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the importance of saving your pasta water. The final dish won't be the same without it, so don't drain your pasta when it's done (see recipe for details)!
How to make this dish + a few tips
This pasta comes together almost alarmingly fast, so I suggest getting your sauce in place (and almost done) before adding your pasta to the water.
- Saute shallots/onions and garlic in olive oil just until they are soft. Because you're using a small amount, this will happen pretty quickly so don't walk away!
- Once softened and a little translucent, you'll add your tomato paste and chili paste. Stir things around to really let that tomato paste caramelize and get about two shades darker.
- Then in goes the vodka and you'll keep stirring until it's completely evaporated. Finally, pour in the heavy cream, stir and then turn the pan off!!
- At this point, your water is likely boiling so you can cook your pasta. Let it go until it's cooked but al dente....pull it about one minute before it's totally done (go by box directions if needed). DO NOT DRAIN.
- Turn the heat back on under your sauce, and add in a little pasta water to thin things out. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer your pasta into the sauce.
- Sprinkle cheese over the pan and start stirring like crazy to bring the sauce together and get all your pasta coated. Keep adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you're looking for (which is one that coats the pasta, with just a little extra in the pan).
Add some butter if you're feeling crazy and then serve, topped with more parmesan, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
What to serve with pasta alla vodka
I developed this recipe to be a big, bowl of pasta so you don't really need anything extra. With that said, feel free to add:
- A cooked up link of your favorite sausage. You can either cook it separately, or before you saute the onions and garlic, cook up some crumbled sausage and then remove from the pan. Add it back in with the pasta as you're finishing the dish.
- Cook up some weeknight chicken or air fryer chicken bites to have on the side.
- On the side, you could do a quick house salad or (one of my personal faves) garlic bread for one!
PrintPasta Alla Vodka For One
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
One of the best and easiest pasta dinners for one, this pasta alla vodka is creamy, comforting and perfect for a night in. Round out the meal with my house salad and/or garlic bread for one!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot or ¼ onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon calabrian chili paste or ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 ounces dry pasta (I love rigatoni!)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- To serve (optional): Extra parmesan, fresh basil, olive oil
Instructions
- Fill a large enough pot for the pasta with water and set it on the stove to boil. While the water comes to a boil, start making the sauce.
- In a small saucepan, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion or shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic and saute for a minute just until the onion is softened.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 teaspoon calabrian chili paste (or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, if using). Saute the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes, until it turns a dark red color.
- Pour in 1 tablespoon vodka and continue stirring until the vodka completely cooks off. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream and stir to combine. Turn heat off (don't worry we'll come back in a few minutes!).
- By now your water is likely boiling so add a handful of salt and 3 ounces dry pasta. Stir to prevent clumping and let boil until just shy of al dente (time will vary depending on the pasta you use, so go by package instructions or taste a piece after about 7-8 minutes and see how it is). When pasta is done, turn off the heat but don't drain!
- When pasta is ready, turn heat back on under sauce to medium-low. Add a ¼ cup of pasta water to the sauce and stir. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to sauce, letting even more pasta water come with it. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan and stir until everything comes together. If the sauce is super thick, add in more pasta water as needed until you get the consistency you're looking for. If using, adding 1 tablespoon butter and stir to combine and emulsify.
- Serve pasta with additional grated parmesan, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
- I find short pasta shapes work best for this, like rigatoni or penne. You can use a long pasta like spaghetti, but the sauce might not cling to the pasta in the same way.
- If you don't keep heavy cream on hand (or if like me, you think you have heavy cream only to find it has gone bad), you can use 2 tablespoons greek yogurt in its place! You'll just need to add a little more pasta water to thin things out. Alternatively, you can blend up 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese with some pasta water and add that instead.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
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