Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner or craving a comforting meal, you’ll want to make this vegan vodka sauce. Not only is it easy to personalize, but it calls for basic pantry ingredients too. This includes canned coconut milk, a.k.a. the secret to making this sauce so pleasantly creamy and delicious. (Not a fan of coconut or have an allergy? Don’t worry—we’ve included a few substitutions, below.)
Read on to learn how to make this dairy-free, plant-based vodka sauce sauce that can be paired with pasta, pizza, and more.
Table of Contents
You Will Need:
- olive oil
- diced yellow or white onion
- minced garlic
- canned whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes
- vodka
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- fresh oregano
- salt
- ground black pepper
- dried basil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- canned coconut milk
- pasta of choice
- vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
- spinach or other veggies (optional)
It’s important to use canned coconut milk, not the kind in the carton. Canned coconut milk is creamier.
You can also replace coconut milk with vegan heavy cream or vegan yogurt.
To make the sauce, warm the oil in the pan. Add the diced onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the canned tomatoes, vodka, brown sugar, and spices.
Mix well. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, mixing occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package’s directions. If using frozen vegetables, prepare those as well.
Let the thickened sauce cool. Carefully transfer to a blender and add the coconut milk, then puree until smooth.
(Never add hot liquid to a blender, as the steam can expand and create enough pressure to force the top off.)
After blending the sauce, give it a taste. Here’s where you can really personalize the recipe! Add an extra dash of salt, crushed red pepper, or other spices. If it’s not sweet enough for your liking, add a bit of brown sugar. Too tangy or intense? Tone it down with more canned coconut milk.
Return the sauce to the pan. Add spinach, if using. Reheat over low-medium heat until warmed through and spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Toss with cooked pasta and vegetables, if using. Garnish with fresh herbs, like basil or thyme, and vegan grated Parmesan cheese. Or, try shaving a vegan Parmesan block, like the Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge.
You can also serve vegan vodka sauce with:
- gnocchi
- pizza
- eggplant Parmesan
- veggie meatball subs
- lasagna
- baked ziti
Store leftover, cooled vegan vodka sauce in air-tight container (like a jar) in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Vegan Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion white or yellow
- 28 ounces canned whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk
- 16 ounces pasta of choice
- 2 cups baby spinach optional
- Frozen vegetables optional
- Vegan Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Warm the oil in the pan. Add the diced onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, vodka, brown sugar, and spices. Mix well. Simmer or 20 to 25 minutes, mixing occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package’s directions. If using frozen vegetables, prepare those as well.
- Let the thickened sauce cool. Carefully transfer to a blender and add the coconut milk, then puree until smooth. (Never add hot liquid to a blender, as the steam can expand and create enough pressure to force the top off.)
- Taste the sauce. Adjust according to your taste buds; you can add more spices, brown sugar, tomato paste, or canned coconut milk.
- Return the sauce to the pan. Add spinach, if using. Reheat over low-medium heat until warmed through and spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Toss with cooked pasta and vegetables, if using. Garnish with fresh herbs, like basil or thyme, and vegan Parmesan cheese.
Notes
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