 Potato gnocchi vodka | |
| Type | Sauce |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Tomato sauce, vodka, heavy cream |
| Variations | Spicy vodka sauce |
Vodka sauce is a creamy tomato sauce used in Italian-American cuisine. [1] The sauce's color ranges from pink to reddish-orange depending how it is prepared. Although the vodka is cooked out of the dish, it is thought to enhance the flavor of the dish and help the cream and tomato blend together in an emulsion. [2]
Vodka sauce is a smooth, creamy tomato sauce flavored with olive oil, Parmesan, pepper, garlic, and shallots. [3] There are multiple origin stories for vodka sauce, which dates to the 1970s and 1980s, including various cookbooks and restaurants in New York City and Italy. [4]
Vodka sauce was originally primarily used in penne alla vodka , but the sauce is now used in other pasta and non-pasta dishes, with one author noting that "vodka sauce has taken the world by storm". [5]
In addition to penne, vodka sauce is also paired with rotini, bow tie and linguine, among others. [3] It's also used in dishes like tteokbokki , a Korean rice cake dish. [6]
The sauce's color is said to have made it popular on social media in the 2020s. One social media post related to vodka sauce got 17 million views in late 2024 — a concerned parent found their vodka supply was dwindling, but it turned out their daughters had just been making vodka sauce. [7]
Spicy vodka sauce, which adds additional ground chili pepper, gained popularity in the 2020s. [8]
Chef Vincent Benoliel noted that he could not taste the difference between sauces made with pricier vodkas, but that higher proof ones needed to cook off longer. [9]
Multiple commercial brands sell vodka sauce, including Bertolli, Isola, Prego, Full Circle, Whole Foods 365, and Rao's. [2]
