This Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce is creamy, flavorful, and made entirely from pantry ingredients! It's a super easy 15-minute pasta recipe that tastes just like the original. I love serving it with sautéed mushrooms and it makes an excellent meal to impress your friends! It's also a travel-friendly staple. Fall in love with the versatility of this unfussy recipe.
Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce is a cozy pasta recipe that I most enjoy making when it's cold out or as a quick camping or travel meal. Since the ingredients are simple and easy to find, this recipe can be made anywhere. It's one of my go-to recipes to impress friends since it's foolproof and impressive!
It's also my go-to recipe when I'm making dinner just for myself. And I love to eat it straight out of the skillet!
Serve this Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta with a Gluten-Free French Baguette, Tuscan Chicken Salad, Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, or Dairy-Free Pesto!
For an Italian-themed dessert, I love serving this recipe with Dairy Free Tiramisu, Dairy Free Gelato, or Thick Italian Hot Chocolate.
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How to make it (with photos)
Ingredients Notes + Substitutions
This dairy-free vodka sauce needs only 4 main ingredients and 5 common spices for a restaurant-quality meal.
- tomato paste - I like to use a thick, good quality canned tomato paste like Muir Glen.
- vodka - I use Tito's Vodka because it is gluten-free (corn-based).
- coconut milk - I recommend canned full fat coconut milk since it makes a smooth vegan vodka sauce and perfectly compliments the tangy vodka flavor.
You also need olive oil, garlic (fresh or freeze-dried), dried basil (this brand is the most flavorful), salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (optional) to make this recipe.
Just add freshly cooked pasta in any shape and you're all set! I like traditional penne or fusilli best. For extra protein, I really like this lentil and rice pasta blend.
The full list of ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Instructions
It is easy to make Vodka Sauce from scratch! Here's what you need to do:
- Saute garlic in olive oil until golden brown and fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns a deeper shade of red.
- Add spices and vodka. Watch the alcohol sizzle and burn off.
- Add cream. Simmer for 5 minutes.
It's done! Add your pasta and enjoy.
Expert Tips
These tips will help you make dairy-free vodka sauce just like my Italian Nonna on the first try!
Watch for the tomato paste to darken. This adds a really rich flavor to the vegan vodka sauce and is not to be missed!
Choose quality ingredients. In any minimal ingredient recipe, it's super important to select your ingredients carefully. Choose quality pasta, tomato paste, vodka, and coconut milk. A little flaky sea salt also makes a nice addition.
Recipe FAQs
Here we answer some frequently asked questions about this Vegan Vodka Sauce recipe.
If you don't see the answer your question, leave it in the comments and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover vodka sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. I recommend reheating in a small pot on the stove with a little extra water or in the microwave, adding a sprinkle of water as needed to rehydrate.
Vodka sauce uses a small amount of alcohol during the cooking process but the final sauce does not contain alcohol. This is because the alcohol burns off when heated, leaving no alcohol behind. Vodka sauce is safe for children to eat too.
In this recipe, each serving has only ½ tablespoon of vodka before the alcohol is boiled off. So it is still a minimal amount, even if cooked improperly.
In pasta sauce, vodka leaves behind a tangy flavor after the alcohol burns off. This tangy flavor is what makes vodka sauce taste different from other sauces.
More dairy-free pasta recipes to consider...
If you love easy dairy-free pasta recipes, you'll also want to check these out!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment section or recipe card below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 ounces canned tomato paste
- 2 ½ tablespoons vodka
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tablespoon dried basil leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ 14-ounce can coconut milk
- ½ pound dried pasta , cooked according to package instructions (8 ounces, 225 grams)
Instructions
- Garlic: In an 8-inch skillet on low heat, add olive oil and garlic. Saute garlic, stirring on occasion, until fragrant and golden brown.
- Tomato Paste: Add tomato paste and stir constantly until the paste turns a darker shade of red (about 3 minutes). It's okay if the paste and the oil do not fully mix at this point.
- Vodka: Add vodka and spices. Allow the alcohol from the vodka to bubble off (about 2 minutes).
- Coconut Milk: Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat
- Serve: Toss with cooked pasta. Serve warm.
Cam says
This is a very seriously good vegan vodka pasta recipe! I made it while camping with friends and they were so impressed.
Joanna says
Hi. Would I be able to sub almond Mike for the coconut milk? Or would the sauce lose the creamy texture?
Jamie says
Hi Joanna, I think that it would likely lose its creamy texture. I don't know of a good alternative, unfortunately!
Carole K says
So good and simple! It's nice not having to run to the store. Thank you Jamie - another winning recipe!
Jamie says
Thank you for sharing Carole! I'm so glad I saved you a trip to the store!
Bren says
Not only does this recipe take minimal ingredients, it also takes hardly any time to whip up! It’s deliciously creamy with the addition of the coconut milk. I highly recommend trying it!
Jamie says
Thank you so much for the review Bren! And I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Elizabeth says
The sauce is deliciously creamy! We sauteed some mushrooms with the garlic which was also a nice addition.
Jamie says
Thank you for the review Elizabeth and I'm glad you enjoyed it! It does taste great with mushrooms.
Sara says
I love this vodka sauce recipe! It's way tastier than the other recipes out there 🙂
Jamie says
I'm so glad the pasta turned out so well for you!