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A bowl of Vegan Vodka Sauce and pasta in a bowl with a fork on the top left.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Vodka Sauce

This Vegan Vodka Sauce is the best ever dairy-free pasta recipe! You only need 9 simple ingredients and 30 minutes to make this creamy rose sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 448kcal
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • 1 High Speed Blender
  • 1 4 Quart Pot
  • 1 Large Braiser or Dutch Oven see note
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chefs Knife

Ingredients

For the Cashew Cream

  • ½ Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews
  • ¾ Cup Boiling Water

For the Vodka Sauce

  • 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, small dice
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 6 tablespoon Vodka
  • 1 28 oz Can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes see note!
  • 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • 2 tablespoon Chopped Calabrian Chilis see note
  • 1 Pound Pasta of Choice I like Rigatoni or Pipe Rigate
  • Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions

Make the Cashew Cream

  • Add cashews and boiling water into the pitcher of a high-speed blender. Allow the cashews to soak for 10 minutes. Then, blend on high until completely smooth and creamy- about 1 minute.
    ½ Cup Raw Unsalted Cashews, ¾ Cup Boiling Water

Boil the Pasta

  • In a 4-quart pot, cook pasta according to the package directions in well-salted water. When the pasta is done, be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
    1 Pound Pasta of Choice

To Make the Vegan Vodka Sauce

  • Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and use your hands to crush them to your desired consistency. Or, if you like them completely smooth, blend them with an immersion blender.
    1 28 oz Can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • Heat a large, braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion along with a pinch of salt. Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute longer.
    3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Medium Onion, small dice, 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes. The tomato paste will start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan. That's what you want!
    3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • Turn the stove off (for safety) and add the vodka to the pan. Turn the heat back on to medium and gently stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (See note!)
    6 tablespoon Vodka
  • Add the crushed tomatoes and Calabrian chilis. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
    2 tablespoon Chopped Calabrian Chilis
  • Pour the cashew cream into the sauce and stir. Then add another pinch of salt and pepper and stir again.
    2 tablespoon Chopped Calabrian Chilis, Salt and Black Pepper
  • Add the pasta to the sauce and gently stir to combine. If you need to loosen the sauce, add pasta water, ¼ cup at a time. If you don't need pasta water, don't use it! (See note)
  • Serve with vegan parmesan or chopped fresh basil.

Notes

My favorite brand of whole-peeled tomatoes is Cento.
My favorite Calabrian chilis are these by Tutto Calabria.
If you don't have Calabrian chilis, use ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flake.
To safely cook with liquor on a gas stove: Measure the liquor into a small cup- never pour directly from the bottle! And, turn the flame off when pouring the liquor into the pan.
When you put the pasta into the sauce it will look like too much sauce at first. After a couple of minutes, the pasta will soak up some of the sauce and it will be perfect.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg