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Garlic Butter Pasta alla Vodka with Melty Burrata. This silky, smooth, and extra creamy pasta alla vodka is the perfect cozy recipe to make! Fresh pasta tossed in a garlicky, buttery, tomato and pesto vodka sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! The garlic, butter, and pesto add a vibrant layer of flavor and richness to this saucy and creamy pasta. Just before serving, add fresh burrata cheese and allow it to melt into the pasta. It’s so delicious!
I often say this, but the simplest recipes are the most wonderful. And they tend to be the yummiest, too!
My pasta alla vodka sauce is one recipe that I make on repeat, like all of the time. It’s a favorite dinner for my younger sister, Asher, who requests it probably weekly! She’s even made the pasta herself and served it to the family!
When I was thinking about Valentine’s Day recipes for this year, I just could not get past this idea. And when I shared it with both my mom and my cousin, Abby, they both said this was their #1 pick.
I created a garlic butter version of one of my family’s favorite pasta sauces! But what’s even more special than the garlic butter is the melty burrata cheese. It’s such a simple addition that really transforms this pasta all vodka!
Add some fresh herbs and lemon on top for a wonderfully simple way to freshen up a classic Italian pasta. This would be perfect for Valentine’s Day dinner, too! Finish with crusty bread and my favorite house salad on the side. Such an easy and romantic meal.
These are the details
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- salted butter
- shallots
- garlic
- dried oregano
- chili flakes
- tomato paste
- vodka
- basil pesto,
- heavy cream – or you can use canned coconut milk
- your favorite shortcut pasta – we love rigatoni or penne
- grated Parmesan cheese
- toasted pine nuts
- fresh basil and parsley
- lemon zest
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a skillet with high sides and a pasta cooking pot.
Steps
Step 1: make the alla vadka sauce
In a skillet with sides, or use a low braising pot, cook the olive oil together with the shallots and garlic. I use around 6 cloves of fresh garlic. This is the perfect amount of garlic that doesn’t feel overpowering to the sauce.
Now, mix in the butter and then add the tomato paste. The butter will brown around the garlic, and the tomato paste will thicken its texture.
From here, mix in the vodka, the cream, and the pesto. Let the sauce simmer on low while you finish the pasta.
Step 2: the pasta
Simply cook the pasta according to the package directions. When you’re ready to drain the water, save about a cup of the pasta cooking water. Use it to thin the pasta sauce after you add the pasta.
Step 3: add the pasta
Mix the hot pasta into the vodka sauce. Add some pasta water to thin if needed. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix everything together until very creamy.
Step 4: add the burrata
Now, gently stir in the burrata. Let it sit in the pasta for a few minutes to melt.
Step 5: make the herby pine nut topping
Olive oil, toasted pine nuts, basil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix!
This is so fresh and yummy. I highly recommend adding this topping!
Step 6: serve
Serve the pasta, the sauce, and the burrata cheese in bowls. Top with the fresh herb topping and enjoy this while warm! Scrumptious!
So simple too – just what we love! I hope you, your family, and friends all enjoy this as much as we do!
Looking for other simple winter pasta dishes? Here are my favorites:
4 Cheese Sage Pesto Florentine Lasagna
One Pot Spicy Pesto Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Lastly, if you make this Garlic Butter Pasta alla Vodka with Melty Burrata, 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!
Garlic Butter Alla Vodka with Melty Burrata
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 776 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
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 or 3 balls burrata cheese at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the shallots, garlic, and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, tomato paste, and chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, until the butter is browning around the garlic. Stir in the vodka and then the cream and pesto. 2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.3. Add the pasta, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, and the parmesan to the vodka sauce. If needed, thin the sauce with additional pasta cooking water. Gently mix in the torn burrata and allow the burrata to melt into the pasta, do not stir too much. 4. Make the herby pine nut topping: In a bowl, mix olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan, basil, parsley, and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. 5. Divide the pasta among plates. Top with the herbs and parmesan. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 12, 2025
This was absolutely amazing. I appreciate that you separated the herb mix from the main recipe. I have a picky teen that would have refused to eat it, had it all been incorporated into it!
Hey Heather,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
Made this last night – nice to switch up from regular spicy vodka. It was a huge hit – the pesto adds a lot of depth of flavor! Made a few small changes – added more shallot and used Calabrian chilis instead of red pepper flakes. I also blitzed quickly with my immersion blender before adding pasta. Lastly used ricotta instead of burrata and didn’t have pine nuts so skipped those. Definitely will be making again – thanks again Teighan!!
Thanks so much, Hilary! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed and thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Happy Monday! xT
Absolutely delicious. Made it for company and everyone raved, even my husband that doesn’t like pasta without meat. He said to definitely make it again! Thanks!
Hey Beth,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
I made this recipe for guests and they all loved it! It packed a very good flavor. I did have left overs so at that point I added chicken and broccoli to make it our main dish for dinner the following evening.
Hey Jo,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Hello, at the top of this recipe you say 6 cloves of garlic is perfect but then the printable recipe says 8? Which would you recommend?
I also noticed in step 1 you wrote “make the alla vadka sauce” and the word “alla” means “with” or “in the manner of” so it’s not called alla vodka sauce, it’s just vodka sauce and the dish is called pasta alla vodka.
Hey Maria,
6-8 cloves of garlic is great to use depending on the size of them or your personal preference. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Any substitutions for burrata cheese I can’t find it at any local grocery stores.thanks so much for all the delicious recipes!
Hey Lindsay,
Sure, fresh mozzarella is a great option for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I noticed in your recipe stories you struggled with a big chunk of burrata in the dish that hadn’t really melted or mixed in with the pasta, is there a way to avoid this happening? Would maybe ricotta work better since it doesn’t have that outer shell like burrata does?
Hi Jan,
That’s really just the nature of burrata, if you want something that melts more ricotta would be a great option:)
Teighan,
This is a great recipe. Added Sweet Italian sauage and a simple salad. Great dinner. Thank you!!
Hey Christine,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Delicious plate but very spicy. I would use half of the red pepper.
Hey Colleen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! So sorry about the spice, but glad it was enjoyed! xT
Hi! Any way to sub the tomato paste? My husband has very bad heartburn. As he’s gotten older, his body can no longer handle the sauce he loves in pastas and pizzas. I’d love to make this recipe for him, but need some guidance. We’ve even tried mixing the sauces so it’s more white than red, but no luck on his end. Thanks!
Hi Hazelle,
Can you just use tomato sauce rather than paste? Otherwise, here are some other recipes I would recommend:
https://fett-weg.today/lemon-butter-orzo-carbonara/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/butternut-squash-sun-dried-tomato-chicken-pasta/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/parmesan-chicken-florentine-broccoli-pasta/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps! xT
Absolutely amazing!!!! Just made this for my husband for Valentine’s Day and it was SO delicious. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! xxT
Delicious and easy! All my guests asked for the recipe so you know it’s a good one!! One question- recipe says Parmesan goes in pasta as well as topping but doesn’t say how the 1/3 cup is split. I probably put it too much as I used 1/3 cup in each but it turned out great:)
Hey Patience,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! I just split the parmesan in half:) xxT
Really yummy. Made as directed. This will be on repeat!
Hey Robin,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! xxT
The topping is pretty much the same mix of ingredients as pesto (which is already in the recipe), no?
Hi Kate,
Yes, it’s very similar. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Any alcohol free subs for the vodka?
You bet, broth will work nicely for you!
Maybe the non-coconut version is delicious, but I used coconut milk as a sub for heavy cream and it’s not a good sub. The whole thing tasted like coconut 🙁 But I guess I should have known that…
Hi Susan,
So very sorry to hear this. Please let me know if you try the recipe using heavy cream! xx
Congratulations on having your new book, Half Baked Harvest, recommended and a Tilapia recipe showcased by NPR’s The Splendid Table! Well done! The Garlic Butter Alla Vodka with Melty Burrata pasta looks amazing and I plan to fix that for Valentine’s Day as you suggest.
Thanks so much, Patricia! I hope you love the pasta:) xT
I have noticed often in your recipes you say you can use heavy cream or coconut milk, but coconut milk tastes like coconut and will add that flavor to the dish. In this recipe won’t that taste kind of funny with the Italian flavors?
Hey Kelsie,
You really shouldn’t taste any coconut in this recipe if you choose to go that route. If you are worried about it, I suggest using the heavy cream. I hope you love this dish! xT
Have you yourself taste tested it both ways? I don’t like using heavy cream but I see another reviewer said it tasted like coconut so that makes me a little wary.
Yes, I’ve tested it both ways:) I prefer using heavy cream, but I know those who can’t use dairy enjoy the coconut milk swap.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever done any research on what adding pasta water does to a sauce, but it doesn’t thin it unless you use too much, (which would give you a watery sauce). Because of the starch it acts as a thickener and works to create a nice smooth texture. However, to do it properly you need to put the pasta water in the sauce before you add the noodles so you can slowly whisk it in to make sure you don’t overdo it and make sure it gets properly emulsified. Hope that helps anyone making this recipe!
The brand of coconut milk can make a difference. I don’t notice a coconut taste when I use the Whole Foods brand organic coconut milk in recipes, but I do when I use the Thai Kitchen brand.
Great comment, Emily – this is helpful. 🙂
Protein suggestions for this that would not over power the flavor and texture?
Hey Amy,
I think ground Italian sausage would be a great addition here! Please let me know if you have any other questions! XxT