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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.
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!
I’m excited to try this out! Do you think it would still be ok if I used cheap vodka?
Hey Karis,
You certainly don’t need to use anything expensive, but I wouldn’t use something that you wouldn’t drink yourself. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Oh my goodness, is this delicious! This is one of the tastiest pasta recipes I’ve ever made. We vote as a family to decide if a new recipe is going to be a repeat, and this one was hands down YES! I’m new to HBH, and am so glad I found you. Thank you so much!
Hey Melissa,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is so good! Thank you for sharing it with us !
Hey Hilary,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This looks amazing, could pancetta be added to this to give it a little more protein?
Hey Shannon,
Sure, any meat you enjoy would work well here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This dish was so delicious and might be my new favorite pasta dish! Can’t wait to make it again (tonight)
Hey Emily,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
This was incredible and I’m not usually a vodka sauce fan. My husband had two huge servings! The tomatoes contribute so much flavor!
I actually added 1lb ground beef for my meathead family. My husband informed me skeptically that beef doesn’t go with vodka sauce. Well, the beef soaked up the spice, cream and acid and was SO yummy. So there!
Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
We loved this!! Fun to make. So so good with cherry tomatoes from the farmer’s market. We used orange and red. Served with a kale salad that added nice color to the plate.
Hey Beth,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
Excellent! Tried this recipe tonight for a few teenagers, it was a hit!!!
Hey Germaine,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Love it!
Hey Gemma,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
I have a favorite Pasta a la Vodka recipe that I’ve made for years and we loved it. You have just dethroned it with this one. The cherry burst tomatoes elevates it to a whole new level. LOVE, LOVE, LOVe
Hey Suzanne,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
so… this recipe calls for cream or coconut milk- implying the yummy creamy texture one should hope for- however i don’t see in instructions when to add. please advise
Hey Holly,
The cream is added in step 2. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was a hit with the family- delicious! Great way to use home grown cherry tomatoes. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey there,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
Hello-
Can you use a dutch oven instead of a skillet for the sauce? I am worried that my skillet isn’t big enough.
Thanks!
Kelly
Hey Kelly,
You bet! I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was sooo good!! And a great way to use home grown grape tomatoes.
Can you freeze or store this sauce?
Hey Roshni,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! You can totally freeze this sauce. Have the best week:) xTieghan
This might be an odd question, but do you think this could potentially be made in a crockpot? Love your recipes!! They never fail to amaze me!!
Hey Jenny,
I’ve never tried this recipe in the crockpot just because it is so quick and easy over the stove top, but let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is so insanely delicious!!! Second time I’m making it this week!! This time it’s going over some Chicken Parm!! This is most definitely a keeper! YUM!! <3
Hey Ashley,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan