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This colorful and extra creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka is the perfect summer twist on a classic Italian pasta. Fresh pasta tossed in a spicy cherry tomato vodka sauce thatโ€™s creamy and so delicious! The secret to this one pot pastaโ€ฆsweet summer cherry tomatoes, plenty of basil, and lots of cheese on top. The fresh tomatoes add a vibrant layer of flavor and richness to this simple pasta. Serve this family style dinner up any night of the week. Itโ€™s delicious and looks pretty on any tableโ€ฆnot to mention that everyone LOVES a GOOD creamy vodka pasta.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

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Hey there, hoping everyoneโ€™s weekend was amazing and filled with fun, late summer activities, and some very delicious food. We had a pretty laid back weekend with family in town. I cooked a lot, did some online shopping damage, wrote a crazy long Nine Favorite Things post, and thought about how excited I am to be able to tell you about this pasta today.

This is the summer pasta alla vodka recipe we all really need. Its inspiration came from a very unexpected source โ€“ Asher. She asked me if I could make pasta alla vodka for dinner one night soon. And while at first I said no, alla vodka is such a fall/winter recipe, I started to think, โ€œwhat if we made it summery?โ€.

And thatโ€™s just what I did, and here we are. Cherry tomato pasta alla vodkaโ€ฆinspired by Asher but loved and happily consumed by all.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

The details are simple โ€“ first the tomatoes

For this alla vodka youโ€™ll need lots of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite, but especially in the summertime. Theyโ€™re juicy, sweet, and always so full of flavor. Itโ€™s rare when you get a bad one.

Since I love their sweet flavor so much, I knew theyโ€™d be great to use in this pasta.

Iโ€™d recommend using mostly red cherry tomatoes for a nicely colored sauce, but colored tomatoes work well too.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

To make the sauce

Just like a traditional vodka sauce, this sauce is really, really easy, and essentially just a one skillet recipe.

Start by cooking the shallots until soft, then toss in the tomatoes, lots of garlic, fresh oregano, and plenty of chili flakes to give it some kick. Youโ€™ll want to cook the tomatoes over a high heat until they burst. Once the tomatoes burst, let them cook until they almost start to stick to the bottom of the pan. This will intensive the flavors of the tomatoes.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

Now that the tomatoes are saucy, I like to puree about half them in a blender to create a smooth sauce. You can skip this if you prefer, but I love the creaminess of a mostly pureed sauce.

At this point, itโ€™s time to add the vodka and finish things up.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

The final touches

While the sauce is cooking boil off the pasta. When the sauce is ready, toss the pasta with the sauce along with a few pats of butter, parmesan cheese, and basil.

Stir until creamy. Immediately serve the pasta hot off the stove with plenty of extra parmesan and basil on top.

A little lemon would be delicious too!

Asher was lucky enough to eat this hot off the stove and her honest verdict? โ€œDelicious, really, really good, can I have another bowl?โ€.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

If you follow along on Instagram, you know that Asher does not sugarcoat a thing. If she loves something, she LOVES it. And if she doesnโ€™t love something, well, sheโ€™s going to tell you the cold hard truth.

Fortunately for all of us, this turned out so very good. Like roll your eyes back, go for that second bowl, and finish the pasta all in one sitting, GOOD. Dramatic, but true.

Every bowl of this pasta is creamy, just oh so slightly spicy, with a subtle touch of basil, and just the right amount of butter and cheese.

This would make a great dinner party meal with aย side salad and some bread. I usually keep it simple with something like my 5 Ingredient Beer Breadย orย Salted Butter Parker House Rolls.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other cherry tomato recipes, try these:

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes

Caprese Pesto Pasta Bake

Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata + Toast

Lastly, if you make this Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโ€™t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com
4.74 from 354 votes
6
calories 532kcal
Prep15 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Total45 minutes
Colorful and extra creamy, this is the perfect summer twist on classic Italian pastaโ€ฆcreamy, slightly spicy, and SO GOOD!
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Ingredientsย 

Instructionsย 

  • 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Blend about half the tomatoes in a blender until smooth, stir the tomato sauce back into the skillet.
    2. Place the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the vodka, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
    3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.
    4. Add the pasta, butter, parmesan, and basil to the sauce, tossing until the butter has melted.
    5. Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka | halfbakedharvest.com

Meet Tieghan Gerard

I'm Tieghan, the recipes you'll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I try to live simply, eat seasonally, and cook with whole foods. My hope is to inspire a love for amazing food, as well as the courage to try something new!

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4.74 from 354 votes (254 ratings without comment)

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338 Comments

  1. Sara says:

    4 stars
    Overall, this was a good dish. We enjoyed the flavor of the sauce and found it a great way to use our fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden!

    However, the tomato skins kind of rolled up in the sauce and didn’t disappear when blended, even in our high-powered Vitamix. The texture was off-putting. I don’t think we’ll make this one again.

    Thanks!

    1. Tieghan Gerard says:

      Hey Sara,
      Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you won’t make again!

  2. Chrissy says:

    5 stars
    This was delish!!! My 4 year old helped me make it and he had so much fun and the whole family enjoyed it!

    What is the specific type of pasta you used? Thanks!

    1. Tieghan Gerard says:

      Hey Chrissy,
      Amazing! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!

      I used Delallo brand pasta.

      Have a great Thursday!

  3. Gabrielle says:

    Whatโ€™s the best way to prep this if making it for a meal train ?

    1. Tieghan Gerard says:

      Hi Gabrielle,
      I would fully make the recipe and just have them reheat on the stove top on low. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

  4. Janette Tan says:

    Can you freeze leftover vodka sauce and pasta

    1. Tieghan Gerard says:

      Totally! That will work nicely for you, Janette!

  5. Nicole says:

    I make this recipe all the time and love it! Iโ€™m thinking about adding pancetta but not sure at what time to do it โ€” would i do it when taking the tomatoes out to blend?

    1. Tieghan Gerard says:

      Thanks so much, Nicole! Honestly, I would cook the pancetta on the side and then add it to top each dish so you have that crunchy factor. I hope this helps!