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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
I’m a huge fan of your recipes and this recipe is easily one of my top favs. Served the meal to guests and everyone one loved it! Such great flavor… I used tomatoes fresh from the garden and served with homemade crusty French bread and a lemon vinaigrette arugula salad. Finished the meal with raspberry sorbet and homemade lemon crinkle cookies. Thank you so much for creating awesome recipes!
Hey Karen,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi do you recommend a df butter or ghee? And df for the parm? Thanks!!
Hey Liz,
I would use ghee in place of the butter and then any dairy free cheese you enjoy for the parm. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made it…..used a big can of crushed tomatoes….came out awesome!!!!
Hey Tricia,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I’m loving the pasta you used in the recipe! Looks extra twisty and rustic to soak up all the yummy sauce. Actually, I feel that way about pretty much all the pastas I see in your recipes abd photos! What kind is it?
Thanks!!
Hey Vino,
Thanks so much!! I used Delallo Spirali pasta for this recipe. I really enjoy the Delallo brand of pasta. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
DELICIOUS! Will definitely be in my regular rotation. Tieghan, was wondering how long the sauce could be frozen for – 2 months? 3?
Hey Lea,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! You could freeze for up to 3 months. xTieghan
This was my first time making my own vodka sauce. Since its a favorite of mine I have always been intimidated. However with local tomatoes in season I figured I would give it a whirl. I made this last night with local cherry tomatoes from the farmers market. I used my immersion blender to smooth the sauce. We also added chicken, mushrooms and spinach. This recipe was amazing (and fairly easy too)! My fiance and his family raved about it. His first words were “this is incredible, tastes gourmet!” Then they all asked for the recipe.
Hey Emily,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This just made my Monday night! Cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden made this a perfect summer supper.A bit like having a Bloody Mary pasta.❤
Hey Patricia,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was a winner:) xTieghan
Which vodka do you use for this recipe? I’d love to make this it looks so delicious!!!
Hey Lyndsie,
I like to use Tito’s vodka. I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have the vodka and it still tasted great. I added spicy sausage crumble on top and WOW I can’t wait to make it again.
Thank You!
Hey Jen,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Phenomenal! New to cooking and this was so easy and tasted amazing
Hey Katie,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Love this and so easy!
Hey Sheila,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was a winner:) xTieghan
Be careful if you’re not using cherry tomatoes. I missed the note about halving the volume for bigger tomatoes, and ended up with tomato soup.
Hey Amy,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear you used too many tomatoes! xTieghan
I just made this last night for dinner- amazing! I did use organic artisan pasta (from Trader Joe’s). I also substituted half and half for half 2% milk & half Greek yogurt and it came out incredibly creamy. I am definitely making this again.
I’m eating the leftovers right now !
Hey Karen,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was a winner:) xTieghan
This recipe is high-end restaurant quality. I’ve never had better!
Hey Dani,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
So GOOD!!
Hey Monica,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Very delicious and loved how fresh everything tasted! I’m ONLY giving 4/5 because I used 1.5 teaspooons of crushed rep pepper flakes and my husband and I thought it was still too spicy (and he’s a spice fan!). Will definitely be making again though!
Hey Kelly,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
I am thinking of trying this, I have a ton of Roma tomatoes from the garden, would they work instead??? Thank you!!
Hey Kayla,
Sure, roma tomatoes would also work well here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So very delicious and fresh!!! Thank you.
Hey Annie,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan