Today, we’re making a dairy-free vodka pasta sauce because everyone deserves a good bowl of comfort food without sacrificing their stomach!
I’m dedicating this one to my brother and sister-in-law since my brother-in-law is dairy intolerant. And if there’s anyone in the same household who isn’t dairy intolerant (like my sis-in-law), I also have you covered – just have them add some parmesan cheese as a garnish, like I did! Everyone can be accommodated.
For the pasta, I used Jovial gluten-free pasta because it’s the best gluten-free brand, in my opinion, but feel free to use whichever pasta you desire.
Be sure to screenshot the image with the ingredients at the end of the YouTube video below, save this recipe, and subscribe to my YouTube channel here to follow for more tasty ideas.
Please comment and like this post if you loved it!
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for depth)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours, then blended with 1/2 cup water) OR 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking your pasta)
- Fresh basil, for garnish
- Parmesan cheese, garnish for those in the household not dairy intolerant
- Cooked pasta of choice (I used the entire box of Jovial gluten-free pasta)
Instructions:
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze with vodka: Pour in the vodka and let it cook down for 2-3 minutes, allowing the alcohol to burn off.
- Simmer the sauce: Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, dried oregano and basil, onion and garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Stir and let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blend for creaminess: Stir in the blended cashew cream or coconut milk. Using an electric hand blender (be careful using this appliance), blend well and let it simmer for another 5 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- Adjust consistency: Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if you want a thinner sauce.
- Toss with pasta: Mix the sauce with your cooked pasta and serve with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese on top (optional).