Spicy Red Pepper Vodka Pasta

This roasted red pepper spicy vodka pasta is rich, creamy and so easy to make. It’s vegan friendly, ready in about 30 minutes and easy, healthier comfort food at its finest!

Why you’ll love this recipe

My vegan vodka pasta and roasted red pepper pasta are among my most popular recipes on the blog, so I decided to finally combine the two!

It’s a slightly fancier (but still very easy) on the very popular Gigi Hadid Pasta, but can easily be adapted to be made vegan.

This recipe is ready in about 30 minutes, perfect for a crowd, date night or just a simple and flavorful dinner. It’s healthy, vegan friendly, gluten free and bound to impress your friends. Also delish with my gluten free gnocchi!

In order to help spice this pasta up, we’ll be using a generous serving of red pepper flakes which add just the right amount of kick. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preferences! Try my gluten free pizza crust or chicken pot pie pasta next!

How to make spicy vodka pasta

Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.

Saute garlic and onion. This will bring out lots of flavor for this vodka sauce. Pour in the vodka and simmer until the liquid has cooked off. There will be a strong smell when you first pour in the vodka, so keep your nose away if you’re sensitive!

Add in the tomato paste and saute for a couple minutes to strengthen the flavor.

Blend all ingredients. Add the onion mixture to the blender along with all remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth, adding a bit more water as needed to thin out if desired.

Serve. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Pour on top of your cooked pasta and stir to combine. Top with fresh basil and enjoy! I love it with my gluten free caesar salad on the side or my air fryer chicken cutlets for protein! I also loving making garlic bread with my homemade gluten free bread.

Serving suggestions

I think spicy vodka pasta is one of the best comfort foods, so if I’m really craving something cozy, I like to serve this exactly as is.

However, if you’re looking to spruce things up a bit, I love adding in some grilled chicken and serving with a side salad like my massaged kale salad.

Can you taste the vodka?

No! The alcohol will completely cook off and the vodka will simply enhance the other flavors in the sauce. This spicy vodka pasta tastes like a traditional tomato pasta meets a roasted red pepper pasta, with plenty of onion, garlic and also a lot of spice.

You will not get drunk off of vodka sauce and you can definitely feed it to your kids. All of the alcohol will cook off when we saute it with the onion and garlic.

How to store

This sauce will keep well whether you mix it with the pasta and store it that way, or store it on its own. If you store it with the pasta, it will keep for about 3 days in the fridge.

However, you can also freeze the sauce on its own. It will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month, just let it defrost before adding it to fresh cooked pasta!

Substitutes for heavy cream

You can use either heavy cream or half and half in this recipe if you want to go the traditional route. This will give the richest and most classic flavor. I love using half and half in my broccoli cheddar pasta to keep things rich but not too heavy.

However, if you want something a bit healthier, you can swap for greek yogurt mixed with a little bit of water. It sounds weird, I know, but the flavors in the sauce mask the flavors of the yogurt really well so you won’t even notice it!

Make it vegan!

You can very easily make this spicy vodka pasta vegan. All you have to do is use cashew parmesan in place of vegan parmesan and my cashew cream in place of heavy cream or half & half. You can also use any kind of store bought parmesan if you prefer.

What pasta shape is best for vodka sauce?

Penne alla vodka is the most traditional, but I love using rigatoni, spaghetti or whatever I happen to have on hand! You really can’t go wrong here. I used gluten free pasta, but anything works. Even fettuccine would be great like in my gluten free alfredo.

More pasta recipes to try!

• Sun Dried Tomato Tahini Pasta
• Veggie Pesto Pasta
• Tofu Pasta
• Marry Me Chicken Pasta
• Red Pesto Pasta
• Dairy Free Mac & Cheese

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