This ricotta pesto penne alla vodka is a flavorful twist on a typical pasta dish! All the best flavors of a classic penne alla vodka are made even better by adding tomato and ricotta pesto, easily found at the grocery store.
This twist on a classic penne alla vodka is going to be your new go-to pasta recipe! Instead of tomato paste, canned tomatoes are used for a more unique look and taste, and using tomato and ricotta pesto is the perfect addition to this sauce–it adds more to the creamy texture while keeping the same great flavor! The real show-stopper here is the crushed red pepper and the ground cayenne (and the vodka, of course). Though the vodka cooks off while simmering and mostly leaves the strong flavor rather than the actual alcohol, the red pepper flakes and cayenne add to the heat of the sauce, making it just spicy enough.
Here are some more pasta recipes you'll love: Heart Shaped Creamy Beet Pasta for Two, Summer Corn and White Wine Chickpea Pasta, and Feta, Spinach, and Marsala Pasta.
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Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this ricotta pesto penne alla vodka:
- Penne pasta
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato and ricotta pesto
- Vodka
- Heavy cream
- Red pepper flakes
- Ground cayenne
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Shredded asiago
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Leave out the vodka. It's not 100% necessary for this recipe, though it does help with texture and adds a bit of heat to balance the sweetness. If you don't have any on hand, you can leave it out.
- Sweet over spicy. If you don't want added spice to your dish, you can forego the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- If your stove has an open flame, be careful adding your vodka! It's probably best to remove the pan from the stove altogether, add the vodka, and then return the pan to the burner to finish cooking.
More pasta recipes:
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Ricotta Pesto Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked penne
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato and ricotta pesto
- 2 tablespoon vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- shredded asiago to top
Instructions
- Cook your pasta separately on the stovetop as you make the sauce - you can drain and mix a little olive oil into the pasta until you're ready to add it to the sauce.
- Heat your olive oil, garlic and onion on the stovetop on medium-low heat, until onion and garlic start to brown.
- Add in chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes until they darken in color.
- Add your ricotta pesto and stir until fully mixed.
- Add in the vodka and let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly evaporated. then pour in the heavy cream and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add your herbs and spices, stirring to fully combine.
- Mix in the parmesan cheese, then add your drained pasta to the saucepan and fold until fully coated.
- Transfer your pasta to your serving dishes and top with some extra pepper and asiago cheese.
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