Spicy Vodka Sauce Recipe

5 from 8 votes

This creamy vodka sauce recipe is the best! Easily baked in the oven with just 6 ingredients, toss it in your favorite noodle, and dinner is served!

Servings servings

Prep 10 mins

Cook 1 hr 20 mins

Total 1 hr 30 mins

Course : dinner

Cuisine : Italian

Author : Cambrea Gordon

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot and place it over medium heat. When the oil is fragrant, add the chopped onion and smashed garlic cloves. Season with salt and cook until the onion is translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
2 cups yellow onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon olive oil
Add the chili flakes and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Add the vodka and stir to combine.
¼ cup vodka
Crush the whole tomatoes with your hands and then add them to the pot along with the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Cover the dutch oven and bake for 75-80 minutes, or until the tomatoes are thick and reduced.
Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the tomato sauce into a blender or food processor. Blend on high for 30 seconds until super smooth.
Add in the heavy cream and blend or stir to combine.
⅓-1/2 cup heavy cream
Toss with 12 ounces of boiled pasta noodles and enjoy!
12 oz boiled pasta noodles

Step by step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.

Onion: This recipe calls for a sweet Vidalia onion but can be substituted with a yellow or white onion.
Red pepper flakes: Start with the minimum amount of red pepper flakes for a mildly spicy kick, or use the full amount for a very spicy sauce.
Vodka: Cheaper vodka brands are actually perfect for this recipe! You can use any brand you like, I typically will buy Kirkland, Vitali, or Popov.
San Marzano whole tomatoes: You can substitute them with regular canned tomatoes but the flavor will be different.
Heavy cream: Can be substituted with Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt or cream if desired.

Fridge: Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 days. The sauce tastes even better after sitting overnight!
Freezer: Store the cooled sauce in a sealed container in the freezer for 1 month. Let it defrost in the fridge or cold water until thawed before warming.

Pasta: I used Fussili Bucati noodles but you can use any of your favorite variety! This sauce prefers a bulkier noodle, like penne, bow ties, rigatoni, or ziti.
Dairy-free/Vegan: This sauce can easily be made dairy-free with a simple substitution of dairy-free or vegan cream or yogurt.