Reviewed: Jun. 7, 2010

Awesome! I cut the recipe in half and sauteed the minced garlic with some finely chopped onion. I also added 1 Tbsp. of basil, 1 tsp. of oregano, and 1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes along with a couple of teaspoons of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I didn't have mozzarella on hand so I used grated parmesan instead. It came out velvety smooth and was very rich - perfect with a side of garlic bread.

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69 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Jillian

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 23, 2001

This was a super-easy and quick recipe - perfect for a weeknight. It would make a wonderful appearance to serve at a family function. Overall, it was quite tasty and enjoyed by my family. It is quite rich, so eat it in moderation. The only thing I could say should be changed is that the tomatoes should cook down more than 10 minutes to burn-off some of the acid - more like 20-30 minutes before adding the cheese and cream. Since my family prefers something with a little more 'kick', next time I would consider adding a few more spices such as an extra clove or two of garlic, a dash of oregano, some fresh cracked pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh basil - especially to garnish before serving! And possibly add about an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese to thicken the rue. Otherwise - it was great!!

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35 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Savery

Reviewed: Mar. 10, 2008

update: hadnt made this in a while and kids were requesting so I made it but this time I also added Italian seasonings as per reviewer as well as garlic powder and salt to taste. I also put in fresh mushrooms which was great though next time I would sautee them first as they are a bit soggy. Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!! This was deliciously amazing- like eating in a fancy restaurant! I sauteed three cloves of frosen garlic in olive oil, I used one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 3/4 cup of cream and half a cup of vodka and that was perfect in amount and in taste. This also was soooo quick- it took five minutes.

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31 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Lynnie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Aug. 30, 2003

The sauce was wonderful... reminds me of the Penne Vodka I used to order at my favorite authentic Italian restaurant. The only tweaking we did was using Absolut Citron - it was the only vodka we had in the house! We were pleasantly surprised - it gave the sauce a really fresh taste. We also added chicken to round out the meal. My only complaint would be that this recipe makes literally twice the sauce you need for the pasta. Either double the pasta or halve the sauce.

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20 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LAURAHALL

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Apr. 18, 2007

I thought that this recipe, while quick and easy, made far too much sauce and the taste of the vodka came out way too strong for my taste...

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17 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JMAK001

Reviewed: Mar. 5, 2007

This is everything you want in a dinner recipe -- it is great for all the palates in my family. It's approachable for kids, yet elegant and refined for the grown-ups. And so simple...I followed the recipe exactly, except I used lots more garlic because, well, we love garlic. This recipe also reheats well for lunch the next day. Vodka sauce begs for seafood, in my opinion, so next time I will serve with scallops and shrimp, maybe some lump crab -- but still it was great as written. Thanks!

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17 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Spicy Mama

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: San Antonio, Texas, USA

Living In: Austin, Texas, USA

Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2002

This is a wonderful recipe! I usually cook the tomatoes down a lot longer to cut the acid. I also add a lot more garlic and some fresh herbs. It's wonderful with seafood or chicked added. My friends rave over this and it's a common request when they come for dinner. Thanks!

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16 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

D.L. Mowery

Reviewed: Mar. 5, 2005

it was great! i played around with the sauce since i didnt have the second can of tomatoes and i was missing half a pint of heavy cream- and there was still so much more sauce than needed! you will most def. have too much sauce for 1 pound penne, so you should cut down the tomatoes and cream. i used olive oil instead of butter, just enough to full the bottom of the saucer. i added one more cup of cheese- you can add so much more cheese if you like that extra gooiness! you can play around with the vodka too, i used a little less than a cup. it was delicious, and like i said, i had more sauce than i needed.

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12 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

KEFALONITISA82

Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2005

I added a lot. I put in oregano, garlic, basil,red pepper flakes, and lots more cheese (even some cream cheese). And there was definitely too much vodka for me. 1/2 cup would be plenty . With the revisions, my family enjoyed it alot.

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9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LYNN39SCAF

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 24, 2003

Prepared this wonderful dish last night for my boyfriend and he said it was one of the best vodka sauces. Except for adding a tsp of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (which added a little spicy taste to it), I followed the instructions. Highly recommended recipe- easy to prepare and delicious to eat.

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8 users found this review helpful