Pasta Database

United States · cream · medium

Best pasta for vodka sauce

Tomato, cream, a splash of vodka, parmesan. Pink and smooth. Penne and rigatoni; the cream needs ridges to hold.

Region
United States
Base
Cream
Texture
Medium
Shapes that hold it
4
Vodka sauce, served on pasta

What it asks of a shape

Vodka sauce is a medium cream-based sauce. It wants a tube, so the sauce rides inside as well as outside, and ridges, because the sauce has body and needs a grip. The ranking below scores every profiled shape on those traits, then the shape's own sauce notes break the ties.

What it is

Place of origin
plainlist|, Italy, United States
Also called
Penne vodka, pasta with vodka sauce, Moscow penne

Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish of penne in a tomato and cream sauce with vodka, and usually hot pepper flakes, garlic, and pancetta. The vodka emulsifies the sauce and enhances flavor. It is usually topped with grated Parmesan or Pecorino romano cheese and black pepper.

4 shapes that hold it

Penne, uncooked, on linen

Penne

Tubes · Liguria

The bore carries sauce inside and the ridges hold it outside, so penne takes any sauce with body: arrabbiata, vodka sauce, a vegetable ragu, cream with peas and ham, and the oven.

Mostaccioli, uncooked, on linen

Mostaccioli

Tubes · United States

As penne lisce: tomato, meat sauce, and the oven.

Cavatappi, uncooked, on linen

Cavatappi

Tubes · All of Italy

Three ways to hold sauce at once, so it takes cheese sauces, cream, pesto, dressings, and a light ragu.

Rigatoni, uncooked, on linen

Rigatoni

Tubes · Lazio

The widest bore of the everyday tubes, so pieces of sausage, eggplant, or braised meat ride inside it.

Sources

  • The ranking and the sauce notes are our editorial judgement, from the traits in each shape record. See the method.
  • Penne alla vodka, Wikipedia (summary, ingredients, origin), CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata Q7163401.