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Home » Recipes » Easy Dinners

Shell Pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce

Published: Sep 12, 2012 Last Updated: Mar 6, 2020 by Marye 401 words. | About 3 minutes to read this article.

A creamy vodka sauce recipe that is easy to make and perfect over shell or other shaped pasta. A little spicy, a little rich, a lot delicious.
Total time 1 hour
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shells in creamy vodka sauce

I don't think there is any kind of pasta that I don't like. I like it plain with butter, with some herbs, with marinara, with... well you get the idea. There is something about creamy vodka sauce that is addictive to me.

I mean, I lick the spoon while I am making it, I scoop out what's left in the pan with my fingers, I run a piece of bread over any remaining molecules of sauce to get every last bit. I honestly don't know what vodka actually brings to the sauce, besides the name and the idea that it has a little alcohol in it so it therefore gourmet, but I know that I could drink it with a straw. In a cup. Or even a sippy cup.

Yep, it is that good.

This is really easy to make - I like it on the shell macaroni because the shape hold more of the sauce. YAY! Rotini will work, too. Just be sure to use something that can catch and hold plenty of the sauce.

Sometimes I add ground beef, sometimes I add meatballs, and sometimes I just leave it plain. It really is a good all purpose pasta sauce to have up your sleeve... well not up your sleeve... maybe on your spoon?

shells vodka sauce
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Shell Pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce

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A creamy vodka sauce recipe that is easy to make and perfect over shell or other shaped pasta. A little spicy, a little rich, a lot delicious.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings:6 -8 servings
Calories:
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 2 onions, , chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, , minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can canned peeled and diced tomatoes
  • 1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup vodka
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, , or to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, , chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, , chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb ground beef, , browned - optional
  • 2 lbs pasta shells, , cooked
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

  • Simmer the tomatoes, Ro"Tel, onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes together until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Let cool slightly and then run the mixture through a blender until smooth.
  • Pour into a large saucepan.
  • Add the vodka and simmer the mixture over low heat for 20 minutes.
  • Add the cream, butter, and herbs.
  • Stir well and remove from heat.
  • Add the ground beef, if you are using it and spoon over hot pasta.
  • Sprinkle with cheese.

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

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