Low Sodium Penne Alla Vodka Recipe
This low sodium penne alla vodka recipe is a rich, velvety, and creamy sauce – perfect for tossing with freshly cooked pasta and topping with a hint of parmesan cheese. Decadent and SO delicious, this easy low sodium vodka sauce pasta is ready in 30 minutes!
An elegant and luxurious dinner that’s great for entertaining, but quick enough to enjoy during the week. Customize this versatile recipe with your favorite protein, or serve as-is with a house salad and low sodium garlic bread!
Want more great low sodium pastas? Try our low sodium pasta primavera, low sodium stuffed shells, and our super popular low sodium alfredo sauce!
One of my favorite things in the world is when I go out to eat at a restaurant and I have a dish that is SO good that I think “I need to make a low sodium version at home!” I first published this recipe for my Low Sodium Scoop newsletter subscribers back in April but this recipe is making it’s way to the blog this fall.
Penne alla vodka is one of my favorites to order in restaurants on special occasions – I had it as a birthday treat at my favorite restaurant (The Black Whale in New Bedford, Massachusetts) and I had another version at Alta Strada in the Foxwoods casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut and it sealed the deal! I moved this recipe to the top of my recipe developing list.
Why This Recipe Works
- It has all the flavors of classic vodka sauce, without the added salt!
- Creamy, decadent, and totally delicious.
- It’s versatile – serve it with your favorite protein or just as-is.
- Ready in 30 minutes, you can make this recipe any night of the week.
- Anyone can successfully make this dish following our step-by-step photos and directions below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I love classic penne pasta for this dish, the sauce get’s all inside the hollow tubes of pasta making for an extra saucy experience. If you can get penne rigate (ridged penne) even better to hold the sauce on the noodles. Most penne has 0mg sodium per serving.
Garlic, onions, and parsley (or basil) are all the produce you need for this tasty sauce. Each ingredient adds wonderful flavor at different steps of this sauce.
I love the combination of both no-salt-added tomato paste, and tomato sauce in this recipe. I get little 8 ounce cans of no-salt tomato sauce that are perfect for dishes like this. While not traditional, I also add Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar in my sauce for extra acidity and flavor without salt! And the chili flakes and vodka adds a sharp bite too. You can omit the vodka if preferred.
The creaminess in the sauce comes from olive oil, unsalted butter, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. I can find pre-shredded parmesan cheese that has just 45mg sodium per serving, making it a great low sodium option!
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Additions and Substitutions
Instead of heavy cream you can add light cream, half & half, or whole milk. The fattier the dairy you use, the creamier the sauce will be.
Want to add protein? Our crispy low sodium chicken breasts are the perfect addition! You could also add garlic butter salmon or low sodium shrimp scampi if desired.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion, and sauté for 5-6 minutes until it begins to brown.
Step 2: Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.
Step 3: Add in the tomato paste, and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until it becomes a darker red color (like it’s caramelizing slightly). Add in the vodka and the tomato sauce, and stir until bubbling.
Step 4: Pour in the heavy cream and the chili flakes, and stir well. Remove from heat.
Step 5: Cook pasta according to package directions (don’t add salt to the water), and before draining save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Step 6: Heat the sauce again over low heat. Add the butter, the cooked pasta, and pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir until it becomes thick and saucy.
Step 7: Stir in the parmesan cheese, and plate up the pasta into individual bowls.
Step 8: Before serving, top with fresh parsley (or basil), and extra parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy hot!
Recipe FAQs
While restaurant versions may vary, this low sodium recipe has just 120mg sodium per 1.5 cup serving as it uses no-salt-added tomatoes and low sodium ingredients. If ordering this dish at a restaurant, ask you server for nutrition information as prepared meals will likely have more sodium content.
If you don’t want to use vodka, no problem! You can omit it entirely from the sauce, or you can substitute white wine or even gin.
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, add the pasta and sauce to a pan with a few tablespoons of water to loosen the sauce. Stir until bubbling and enjoy.
More Low Sodium Pasta Recipes
- Low Sodium Eggplant Parmesan
- Low Sodium Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Our favorite Low Sodium Cajun Pasta Recipe
- Low Sodium Bolognese Sauce Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Chicken Marsala
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Low Sodium Penne Alla Vodka
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 6 ounces no-salt-added tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons vodka optional
- 8 ounces no-salt-added tomato sauce a small can
- 1 cup heavy cream or light cream/half and half
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes see note below for spice level!
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion, and sauté for 5-6 minutes until it begins to brown.
- Add the minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add in the tomato paste, and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until it becomes a darker red color (like it’s caramelizing slightly). Add in the vodka and the tomato sauce, and stir until bubbling.
- Pour in the heavy cream and the chili flakes, and stir well. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta according to package directions (don’t add salt to the water), and before draining save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Heat the sauce again over low heat. Add the butter, the cooked pasta, and pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir until it becomes thick and saucy.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, and plate up the pasta into individual bowls.
- Before serving, top with fresh parsley (or basil), and extra parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy hot!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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I loved creating this low sodium pasta recipe for you – if you make it, please let us know how it went and leave and rating and review below!