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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 love your other vodka sauce, but this one beats it! The fresh tomatoes are a game changer. I didn’t feel like bothering with the blender and it still was fantastic! Thank you! You are my favorite chef ever ?
Hey Sonya,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I truly appreciate you giving it a try!!? xTieghan
Somehow I ended up misreading the recipe and only added 2 cups of heirloom tomatoes (all I had on hand). ? And it stilled turned out absolutely delicious! It was like an Alfredo sauce, but full of herby/garlicky flavor ?!!!!
I added a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, and Parmesan to the sauce. It was awesome. I large shell pasta so used that. As with most pasta sauces, even better the second day.
Hey Jeff,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
Hi Sabina,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
How do I find this kind of pasta in your picture? It doesn’t look like your typical fusilli. Thanks!
Hey Kyle,
I like Delallo brand pasta! Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this pasta! Super easy to make, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I used to reach for the tomato sidekicks when I had a craving for this kind of pasta, but this recipe is way better and almost as easy. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Jessie,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
So good!! So much flavor in the sauce from the sweet cherry tomatoes. I was worried it would be a bit too “simple” and debated adding a protein or burrata but both my husband and I agreed that it really didn’t need anything. Perfect as is! Served with garlic bread to soak up the extra sauce. 🙂
Hey Veronica,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
I would love to make this sauce in advance and save it — just for a few days or even a week. Is that possible? Please advise on how!
So delicious and easy! My guests and husband loved it. I’m making it again to take a meal to some new parents this week.
Hey Abbie,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
I halved the recipe but kept the same amount of garlic and shallots…and used one nip of vodka…made with rigatoni…yum! This was absurdly delicious, best vodka sauce I ever had anywhere hands down…thank you for another amazing recipe!
Hey Caroline,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
very good but I added extra garlic (love garlic). I used the coconut milk and could not taste the coconut at all. My rec is to leave out the butter. Next time I would cook it down a bit more as I felt it was a bit too runny. Overall, tasted great and would make again.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
We added leftover lobster meat and it was delicious!
Hey Laura,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan
I have a different vodka, tomato sauce recipes this beats it by a mile!!! So fresh and creamy. I love how quickly it came together.
Since tomatoes are at their height of freshness I think I am going to make a couple of batches up through the directions in #1 and freeze for the winter.
Hey Lynn,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Had this tonight for our anniversary dinner using tomatoes from our garden – it was so good!!
Hey Elizabeth,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
Wow! This is delicious! I used some of our yellow tomatoes. Delicious. Thoughts about canning the sauce before adding the vodka and cream?
Hey Melissa,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! I think that would work well for you. xTieghan
Wow! Have to use less salt in my diet and this had great flavor! Also a great way to use cherry and grape tomatoes from the garden. My family loved it!
Hey Bella,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this tonight for dinner, and it was amazing. My husband said it was the best vodka sauce I’ve made, and better than any restaurant. Thanks for the recipe. I will try and tag you, so you can see my pictures. ?
Hey Annette,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi! This recipe looks amazing. Do you think this would be okay to make ahead of time? Thanks so much!
Hey Bianca,
Yes, totally fine to make this sauce in advance. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was amazing.
Hey Maggie,
Fantastic! Love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Looks delicious! Planning to make this tomorrow. Do you think I could use an immersion blender in the pot instead of pouring half of it into a regular blender?
Hey Amy,
Sure, that should work just fine for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan