Recipes Vodka Sauce 4.0 (5,072) 1 Review Vodka adds a spicy flavor to this popular Italian American sauce. More Italian Dishes By Grace Parisi Updated on June 1, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Yield: 3 cups (enough for 1 pound of pasta) Ingredients 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 ounces pancetta, diced 3 garlic cloves, peeled 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 cup vodka 1 tablespoon tomato paste One 35-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand Pinch of sugar 2 basil sprigs Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup heavy cream Directions In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the pancetta, garlic and crushed red pepper over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with vodka. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir in the sugar and basil, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper. Discard the basil sprigs and garlic. Add heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes Make Ahead The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rate it Print