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This colorful and extra creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka is the perfect summer twist on a classic Italian pasta. Fresh pasta tossed in a spicy cherry tomato vodka sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! The secret to this one pot pasta…sweet summer cherry tomatoes, plenty of basil, and lots of cheese on top. The fresh tomatoes add a vibrant layer of flavor and richness to this simple pasta. Serve this family style dinner up any night of the week. It’s delicious and looks pretty on any table…not to mention that everyone LOVES a GOOD creamy vodka pasta.
Hey there, hoping everyone’s weekend was amazing and filled with fun, late summer activities, and some very delicious food. We had a pretty laid back weekend with family in town. I cooked a lot, did some online shopping damage, wrote a crazy long Nine Favorite Things post, and thought about how excited I am to be able to tell you about this pasta today.
This is the summer pasta alla vodka recipe we all really need. Its inspiration came from a very unexpected source – Asher. She asked me if I could make pasta alla vodka for dinner one night soon. And while at first I said no, alla vodka is such a fall/winter recipe, I started to think, “what if we made it summery?”.
And that’s just what I did, and here we are. Cherry tomato pasta alla vodka…inspired by Asher but loved and happily consumed by all.
The details are simple – first the tomatoes
For this alla vodka you’ll need lots of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite, but especially in the summertime. They’re juicy, sweet, and always so full of flavor. It’s rare when you get a bad one.
Since I love their sweet flavor so much, I knew they’d be great to use in this pasta.
I’d recommend using mostly red cherry tomatoes for a nicely colored sauce, but colored tomatoes work well too.
To make the sauce
Just like a traditional vodka sauce, this sauce is really, really easy, and essentially just a one skillet recipe.
Start by cooking the shallots until soft, then toss in the tomatoes, lots of garlic, fresh oregano, and plenty of chili flakes to give it some kick. You’ll want to cook the tomatoes over a high heat until they burst. Once the tomatoes burst, let them cook until they almost start to stick to the bottom of the pan. This will intensive the flavors of the tomatoes.
Now that the tomatoes are saucy, I like to puree about half them in a blender to create a smooth sauce. You can skip this if you prefer, but I love the creaminess of a mostly pureed sauce.
At this point, it’s time to add the vodka and finish things up.
The final touches
While the sauce is cooking boil off the pasta. When the sauce is ready, toss the pasta with the sauce along with a few pats of butter, parmesan cheese, and basil.
Stir until creamy. Immediately serve the pasta hot off the stove with plenty of extra parmesan and basil on top.
A little lemon would be delicious too!
Asher was lucky enough to eat this hot off the stove and her honest verdict? “Delicious, really, really good, can I have another bowl?”.
If you follow along on Instagram, you know that Asher does not sugarcoat a thing. If she loves something, she LOVES it. And if she doesn’t love something, well, she’s going to tell you the cold hard truth.
Fortunately for all of us, this turned out so very good. Like roll your eyes back, go for that second bowl, and finish the pasta all in one sitting, GOOD. Dramatic, but true.
Every bowl of this pasta is creamy, just oh so slightly spicy, with a subtle touch of basil, and just the right amount of butter and cheese.
This would make a great dinner party meal with a side salad and some bread. I usually keep it simple with something like my 5 Ingredient Beer Bread or Salted Butter Parker House Rolls.
Looking for other cherry tomato recipes, try these:
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata + Toast
Lastly, if you make this Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 532 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 1/2 cup vodka
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Blend about half the tomatoes in a blender until smooth, stir the tomato sauce back into the skillet.2. Place the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the vodka, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.4. Add the pasta, butter, parmesan, and basil to the sauce, tossing until the butter has melted. 5. Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 9, 2021
Very tasty. Lovely meal with fresh seasonal tomatoes
Hey Valerie,
Amazing! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you giving it a try!
Have a great week!
I’ve made this so many times. It’s a staple in our home. I usually make big batches and freeze it. Just love it!
Hey Carmen! Thank you SO much for this feedback! Love to hear that this is a staple in your home! xT
Made it exactly as written with cherry tomatoes from our garden. Excellent. Definitely will put this into the make again column.
Wow thank you! Hope this recipe becomes a staple in your home! 🙂 xT
I’m about to try this recipe. In the ingredients if says red pepper flakes but the instructions say red chillies, are they the same?
Hey Elizabeth,
Yes, same thing:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
The flavor is DELICIOUS but the sauce was very runny, not thick like a traditional pasta sauce. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Jen,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Have the best weekend!☃️
OK your favorite Italian follower here. I made this last night and it was so dang good! My neighbor brought over cherry tomatoes, basil and oregano from her garden, so this was perfect! Thanks!
Wow that sounds so good! Thank you so much, Irene! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! xT
This is a staple recipe for our family. I make a big batch and freeze for several dinners.
It’s very delicious!!
Hey Carmen,
Happy Sunday!🍂🍁 Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and your comment, love to hear it always turns out well! x
This is a delicious recipe that my partner and I have enjoyed multiple times already.
We do, however, make 2 changes.
1. Instead of coconut cream, we use a plant-based double-cream (specifically, Flora if you’re in the UK)
2. We add some ypung or baby spinach (about 150g) to the recipe towards the end (just after adding the vodka, so it wilts) to both add a small bit of bulk, but also to make it that little bit more nutritional value to the meal.
All in all, a really great recipe.
Hey Sarah,
Yay! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! Have a great day! Xx
I make a different, quicker to cook recipe for this with my partner, and made this for myself this week. Hoooly smokes, I can’t ever go back to the old recipe after trying this version! Thank you for providing this deliciousness!
Hey Renee,
Amazing! Love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
This was my first time trying this kind of sauce and it was so delicious! I had just pick a bunch of cherry tomatoes from my garden. It’s definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great day 🙂 xT
Can you freeze this sauce?
Yes!
Hi this is my favorite vodka sauce recipe !! Never fails. Can you please provide me with the freezing instructions ?
Hey Gabrielle,
Happy Sunday!!🍍🥥 Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! I would freeze after step 2:) xT
This turned out amazing! I didn’t use the basil because I wanted it more rich and tomato based. I used fresh garganelli pasta. I have zero complaints! I just puréed all the tomatoes because I wanted it all super creamy!
Hey Chelsea,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌞 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Can I substitute chicken broth or something in place of the vodka? Also I love all your recipes. They are staples in our house!!
Thanks so much Kennedy!! Totally, chicken broth is a great option! I hope you love this recipe! xT
This was so delicious with the burst cherry tomatoes! Comes together pretty quick and the sauce coats the pasta with just that perfect kick of heat—yum. I added some sliced turkey pepperoni as well as some fresh spinach to the final steps and we enjoyed it very much. Can’t wait until summer when my garden is loaded with cherry tomatoes!
Hey Lucy,
Fantastic!!🐣 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Decided to try this out as I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes to use. Unfortunately it just didn’t compete with a traditional vodka sauce recipe. The suggestion of subbing coconut cream for the half and half is not a mistake I will be making again. Turning leftovers into a chickpea curry as the coconut flavor was completely overwhelming.
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Yum! Loved this recipe.
The cherry tomatoes added another layer of summer freshness and the basil was a perfect finishing touch.
My husband ate his bowl so fast🤭
Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
Hi Mallory,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! xT
Can’t wait to try this! Would you recommend a can of whole fat coconut milk or coconut cream?
Hi Jess,
You can use the coconut milk:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
So excited to try this recipe tomorrow!! Is it possible to make it in the crockpot? If so, can you please tell me how? I just get so tired after work! If not, I’m thinking that I’ll mark the sauce tonight. 😊
Hey Alyssa,
So sorry, I’ve never tested this recipe in the slow cooker just because it’s so quick to make on the stove top. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx