Dinner for 6
Penne alla Vodka with fresh tomatoes
$5.16for 450 minServes 6
Penne pasta is tossed with a tomato, vodka, cream, garlic, herb, and Parmesan sauce cooked in one skillet.

Photo: cookingclassy.com
What it costs
Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh tomatoes$1.99/lb typical | 1.75 lb | $3.48Typical price | |
| Onions$1.29/lb typical | 0.15 lb | $0.20Typical price | |
| Garlic$0.75 each typical | a little | $0.08Typical price | |
| Heavy cream$0.22/oz typical | 5.5 oz | $1.22Typical price | |
| Parmesan$0.55/oz typical | 0.5 oz | $0.24Typical price | |
| Mint, dill, rosemary, thyme and other fresh herbs$1.99 each typical | a little | $0.12Typical price | |
| Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil)$1.49 each typical | a little | $0.19Typical price | |
| Pasta$0.10/oz typical | 7 oz | $0.70Typical price | |
| Total for the servings shown | $7.73 | ||
Pantry staples you likely have
Cooking spray, shortening, ghee, coconut and sesame oilSalt and pepperWine, beer and spiritsDried herbs, spices and seasoning blends
Not included in the cost.
Swaps
- Swap Onions for Red onionsabout $0.20/lb more at typical prices
- Swap Heavy cream for Evaporated or condensed milkabout $0.08/oz less at typical prices
- Swap Pasta for Egg noodlesabout $0.04/oz more at typical prices
- 50 minstart to table
- Mediumdifficulty
- 6servings as written
- $typical cost tier
ItalianVegetarianBudgetFamilyDinnersSummer
Typical price
$1.29 per serving$5.16 for 4
Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.
Ingredients
- 1 can (28 oz) san marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 14 oz penne pasta (optional)
Steps
- Boil the penne in a large pot of salted water according to the package time, then drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook onion and garlic for 4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Stir in vodka and simmer for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
- Lower the heat, stir in cream, oregano, and basil, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add penne and Parmesan, toss with enough pasta water to loosen the sauce, and heat for 2 minutes.
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