This Keto Vodka Sauce is made with whole San Marzano tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, butter, garlic, and vodka.

This is what I'm talking about! Nothing better than an awesome vodka sauce. This sauce is traditionally served with penne, but you can use any pasta you would like.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Crab Marinara with Linguini and my Lobster Bucatini.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- San Marzano Tomatoes
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Heavy cream
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Vodka
- Parmesan cheese
- Basil
See recipe card for Keto Vodka Sauce quantities.
Instructions
In a large saucepan, combine the butter, garlic and red pepper flakes on medium low heat. Cook and stir often, until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the vodka and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until ⅓ of the vodka has reduced. Add the tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper and simmer sauce over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
With a large spoon, put the sauce into a blender and add the heavy cream. Blend until smooth and return to the saucepan. Add the grated cheese and on low heat, stir until the cheese melts.
Garnish with basil and parmesan.
Substitutions
- Tomatoes: For best results, I love using a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I have used dried sun-dried tomatoes before, but the sun-dried tomatoes in a jar is where the flavor is at! They both will work though.
- Heavy Cream: If you want to use a lighter cream, you can use milk or half and half.
- Vodka: Using premium vodka will with no doubt enhance the end flavor of the sauce, but don't be afraid to choose an inexpensive vodka for this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: The cheese must be thinly grated so it can blend well in the sauce.
- Basil: I love garnishing with fresh basil at the end of the recipe to give it a nice kick.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
- Deluxe - add ricotta for a creamier sauce.
- Kid friendly - serve with fun sized pasta for the kids.
Check out this Vegan Pasta e Fagioli.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Do not overcook the pasta. Every pasta is different so make sure to check the package and set a timer.
Keto Vodka Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Keto Vodka Sauce is made with whole San Marzano tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, butter, garlic, and vodka.
Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
- ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes from oil packed jar
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons of salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup of vodka
- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Garnish:
- Basil, as desired
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the butter, garlic and red pepper flakes on medium low heat. Cook and stir often, until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vodka and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until ⅓ of the vodka has reduced. Add the tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper and simmer sauce over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
- With a large spoon, put the sauce into a blender and add the heavy cream. Blend until smooth and return to the saucepan. Add the grated cheese and on low heat, stir until the cheese melts.
- Cook any pasta according to the instructions. Place sauce on top of the cooked pasta.
- Garnish with basil and parmesan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 405.1
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 410.1 mg
- Fat: 19.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.4 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 41.7 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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