Penne alla Vodka with Shrimp (Creamy & Easy)

An Italian Restaurant Favorite Made Simply At Home!

If you’re looking for an elegant, hearty pasta dish, look no further than this Penne Alla Vodka recipe! You can certainly leave out the shrimp, but I love the delicate flavor it adds to the creamy vodka sauce.

This is the kind of pasta you can pull together in about 30 minutes, but it still feels special. The homemade vodka sauce is silky and rich, clinging to every bite of pasta, while the shrimp add just the right amount of elegance. Even better, most of the ingredients are pantry staples. For the full Italian restaurant experience, enjoy with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. 💁🏻‍♀️

My Recommendation For Pasta Shape

Stick with a tubular or ridged pasta, which helps to trap little bits of sauce inside each individual piece. Obviously feel free to use whatever you’ve got, but things like penne, rigatoni, fussili, and farfalle are my top suggestions.

And while we’re chatting about pasta, don’t forget to reserve a bit of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce. This is how we get those gloriously silky smooth restaurant-worthy pasta sauces at home.

Alternatives To Shrimp

While my personal preference is to use shrimp, I’ve made this countless times over the years subbing in chicken or Italian sausage and it’s always delicious. Even just stirring in crispy bacon can feel like an upgrade for vodka sauce!

Here’s How To Make It At Home

First, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Be sure to salt your pasta water generously—it should taste like the sea, as this is your only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out.

Shrimp cook quickly (just 2–3 minutes), so pull them from the heat as soon as they turn pink and form that gentle “C” shape. Here’s my quick guide to understanding whether shrimp are cooked:

• C-shape: Perfectly cooked—opaque, tender, and juicy
• O-shape: Overcooked—tight, curled, and likely rubbery
• U-shape: Undercooked—more straight with little curve

Once the shrimp are cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces.

Quick tip: cream-based sauces don’t freeze especially well, so I don’t recommend freezing shrimp vodka pasta.

My favorite way to serve this is with a drizzle of a really nice extra virgin olive oil, freshly Parmesan cheese, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and fresh basil leaves.

It sounds like a lot of fuss over something simple, but I promise these little details are what make it a restaurant-quality pasta from the comfort of home.

Obviously, a big tray of roasted veggies or a simple roast chicken would be lovely here too.

This is the kind of classic Italian pasta that feels a little special without requiring much effort, and I think we could all use more meals like that.

→ If you make this, I’d love for you to leave a star review and rating below!

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Print Recipe

4.84 from 6 reviews

Penne alla Vodka with Shrimp (Creamy & Easy)

Penne Alla Vodka is one of those classic Italian dinners that feels fancy… but is secretly so easy. Creamy vodka sauce, juicy shrimp, plenty of Parmesan—what more could you want? It's rich, a little indulgent, and perfect alongside a big side salad or a tray of roasted veggie. Everything comes together in about 30 minutes, making this not only impressive, but weeknight-friendly.

Prep10 minutes mins

Cook20 minutes mins

Total30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: chef-tested pasta, easy homemade pasta sauce, elevated pasta recipe, homemade Italian pasta sauce, seafood pasta

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 413kcal

Author: Ari Laing

Equipment

A large pot for boiling pasta

A large pan or skillet to cook shrimp and assemble pasta

Tongs

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne
• 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined, see note below
• 1¼ tsp Kosher salt, divided plus more for seasoning pasta water
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 (15oz) can crushed tomatoes
• ½-¾ cup reserved pasta water
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan plus more for serving
• Fresh basil leaves for serving
• For serving: high quality extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt

Instructions

• Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season with a few tablespoons of Kosher salt. Add penne, stir, then cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.
• Cook the shrimp. Season the shrimp on both sides with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add shrimp and cook until they just turn pink on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Use tongs to remove shrimp to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, then chop into bite size pieces. Set aside.
• Sauté the onion. To the same skillet, add diced onion and cook 4-6 minutes over medium-high heat, until softened, stirring occasionally. Add chopped garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and remaining ¼ tsp Kosher salt, then cook 1 minute more.
• Add tomatoes and vodka. Add 3 Tbsp tomato paste, then stir and cook until dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with 2oz vodka, then continue cooking about 2 minutes more.
• Finish the sauce. Pour in a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes. Add ¾ cup (180ml) of heavy cream and the chopped shrimp. Stir until well mixed. Add the cooked pasta, ½ cup of reserved pasta water, and ½ cup grated Parm, stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is luscious and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding remaining pasta water if you want more of a sauce.
• Garnish, then serve. Serve immediately with a drizzle of high quality extra-virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan, flaky sea salt, and lots of fresh basil!

Notes

• Shrimp: Any size shrimp works—just be sure they’re raw. Cook time will vary by size.
• Make-ahead: Make the sauce (without shrimp) up to 2 days in advance. Reheat gently, then add shrimp just before serving. Once shrimp is added, use within 3 days.
• Freezing: Cream-based pasta is best fresh, but can be frozen. Cool completely, then freeze airtight for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 853mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg

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