Alright, I must be crazy. Pasta is my all-time, favorite food to eat and I just realized I’ve only shared ONE pasta recipe with you. ONE! I have let you down. Don’t be surprised if there’s an abundance of delicious pasta recipes coming ‘atcha in the next few months, starting with this beautiful, bright-orange One-Pot Penne alla Vodka.
One-Pot! No extra pot for boiling the noodles separately. It all cooks together in One. Pot. It’s genius, I tell you.
I’ve found that there are three keys to this one-pot cooking method (with which I think I’ll be experimenting much more…I mean, who doesn’t like one less dish to wash?)
- Turn your stove to a medium heat so the pasta/sauce mixture is consistently simmering, but not boiling, while it cooks
- Stir frequently because if you set it and forget it, you may wind up with a bunch of noodles stuck to the bottom of your pot
- Have some extra broth or water ready in case your noodles aren’t quite soft enough after soaking up all of the cooking liquid.
Now, for the good stuff…vodka sauce. If you’re not familiar, vodka sauce is basically a delicious tomato-cream sauce, enhanced with a little vodka for flavor. There’s only 1/3 cup of vodka in this whole tomatoey-creamy dish and most, if not all, of the alcohol will cook off as you simmer it with the shallots. If you’re concerned, however, about feeding this to your little ones, just file this recipe under “Mature Peas Only” and make it for a date-night-in once the kiddos are asleep!
I certainly seem to have passed on my love for pasta, as Em loves this dish…that’s my girl. I like to throw in a bunch of peas before serving, not only for a bright pop of color, but for an extra dose of vegetables with our meal.
Okay, now there’s TWO…two delicious pasta recipes.
Little Hands Can…
- Carefully add the ingredients to the pan while cooking*
- Older children can help stir the pasta while it’s cooking
- Stir in the cream and peas at the end
- Wash and tear the basil for topping the pasta
(*I always turn off the burner when Em helps me add ingredients to a hot pot or pan. I am always standing right next to her and I make sure she knows that the pan is hot.)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- 1 box penne (or other short pasta. I like to use mezze penne because it's smaller for little mouths)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil, for serving
- In a large saute pan (at least 12 inches in diameter), heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the chopped shallots to the hot oil and butter, along with the tomato paste and salt. Saute the shallot mixture for about 5 minutes until the the shallots are softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the vodka and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, so the vodka will reduce by half. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the flavors can combine.
- Add the water, broth and dried pasta. Cover the pan and let the pasta cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring frequently so the noodles don't stick. I've found it works best to simmer the pasta on medium heat, so it's bubbling consistently, but not boiling. If after 15-18 minutes, the pasta isn't done to your liking, add another ½ cup of water or broth and cook for a few more minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the heavy cream and peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot and top with basil and parmesan cheese.
Recipe inspired by both Rachael Ray and my The Best of American’s Test Kitchen cookbook
On the Side
Penne, and other short tube pasta shapes, make great tools for tuning fine motor skills in young children. Grab some dried noodles and some string and join us for a threading activity that may just turn into noodle jewelry! Check out our threading activity here!
Disclaimer: As with all of our recipes, my suggestions for how kids can help with a particular recipe are based on what has worked in our kitchen. Your child may be able to help more or less based on their age and/or ability. As always, make sure you are properly supervising kids in the kitchen.
Carol says
March 17, 2016 at 9:28 AMGreat recipe! I love the fact that it can be made in one pot! Thanks Sally!
Sally says
March 17, 2016 at 11:26 AMThanks, me too! I’m loving this one-pot method for pasta.
Linda Toonen says
March 17, 2016 at 9:31 AMThe musical egg shakers are a clever idea as are your ideas for the dried noodles. What child doesn’t love making and then proudly wearing a necklace he or she made? Older kids could even paint the noodles.
Linda
Sally says
March 17, 2016 at 11:25 AMThanks! Yes, I saw something the other day about coloring noodles with food dye…looks like fun!
Phil says
December 20, 2021 at 7:04 PMI really want to try this recipe for Xmas eve. It’s our addition for our vegetarian guests. But I am reluctant to try account adding dry pasta to the sauce. Not mixing precooked pasta. Does it work.
Thank you much, Merry Christmas
Phil