Quick Creamy Vodka Pasta: 30-Minute Recipe

Getting homemade meals on the table can be a daunting task day after day. Especially when those days are filled with commitment after commitment. That is why having dishes like this quick creamy vodka pasta that can be made in just twenty minutes are essential. This dish can be paired with a slice of sourdough bread or a side salad. You can even include chicken to the vodka pasta for added protein!

Simple Ingredients

Quick recipes usually begin with simple ingredients. I almost always have fresh parsley and basil on hand. Apart from that, you only need onion, garlic, tomato paste, cream, salt, pepper, and some Italian cheese. I say Italian cheese because I typically use whatever I have in my cheese cave. Most of the time this is an Alpine cheese, a Gouda, Parmesan, or Asiago. If I was purchasing cheese from the store, I would most likely use a Parmesiano Reggiano.

I try to stay away from seed oils as much as possible. Most of the time I choose to cook with fats that we have readily on hand and that are produced on our farm. This includes lard, butter, and tallow.

Ingredient Substitutions and Omissions

The last time I made this recipe I realized a little too late that I didn’t have tomato paste. If you have tomato sauce, this is easily rectified by simmering it down until it becomes thick. This will obviously add about twenty minutes to your cook time, but if you’re not in a rush, no biggie.

If you don’t have parsley, don’t fret. I have made it without parsley and it’s still delicious.

No vodka? No problem! It is still wonderful.

Some people might turn their noses up at my choice of cheeses to use, but I use whatever I have. The milk I get from my cows makes a fabulous Alpine cheese which is probably the most versatile cheese I make. I use it on pizza, pasta, in grilled cheeses, to top shepherd’s pie, or to simply snack on. Use what you want. No one will arrest you for using the ‘wrong cheese’, I promise. I’ve been doing it for years.

Most of the time I use a yellow onion. Again, when it comes down to it, I use whatever I have on hand at the time. Most of the time this is a yellow or white onion. When I am out of yellow or white onions I will use a red onion, and sometimes a shallot.

The Importance of Quality Ingredients

Using quality ingredients is key. Try opting for organic tomatoes in glass jars. Companies such as Azure Standard carry organic tomato products in glass jars. If you grow your own tomatoes, you probably can your own tomato sauce. My favorite tomatoes are the San Marzano tomatoes and Amish Paste tomatoes. They make a gorgeous thick, rich, red sauce and do not take hours to boil down.

I purchase organic pasta from Costco or Walmart.

The cream I get comes from our cows, Brew and Becca.

Fresh basil is something I grow in our garden. I will buy it fresh from the store in the winter months or use my salted basil I preserved earlier in the year.

The rest of the ingredients all store well, such as cheese, garlic, and onions. While I do opt to purchase organic produce wherever possible, I am not as picky when it comes to garlic and onions.