Gluten-Free Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is naturally gluten-free at heart — tomatoes, cream, Parmesan, and a shot that pulls flavors out of the tomato you didn’t know were there. Toss it with gluten-free penne and nobody at the table asks questions except ‘is there more.’

Yield: Sauce for 1 lb pasta · Time: 35 min

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (45 g) grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb gluten-free penne, cooked, water reserved

Directions

1. Soften the onion in butter, then add garlic and pepper flakes for 1 minute.
2. Add the vodka and simmer 2 minutes to cook off the harshness.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the cream and Parmesan; season.
5. Toss with hot penne, loosening with reserved pasta water until glossy.

Pro tip: Plain distilled vodka is gluten-free regardless of the base grain — the distillation removes the protein; flavored vodkas are the ones to check.

Gluten-Free Notes

Naturally gluten-free ingredients can still pick up gluten in processing, so choose labeled gluten-free versions of anything packaged here. Our label-reading checker walks through the details if you’re new to this.

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Browse more in Main Dishes, or explore our gluten-free breakfast recipe database and hot cereal guide.