To celebrate the warm response to my new Sunday Gatherings newsletter, I’m sharing one of the exclusive recipes featured in the series: my family’s vodka sauce. Each week the newsletter highlights a simple, comforting Sunday night meal—often a treasured family recipe or an authentic Italian favorite. This vodka sauce was the first recipe in the series, and I wanted it to live on the blog so you can make it any weekend you like.
This recipe is wonderfully straightforward. With just a short list of ingredients and minimal prep, it makes a perfect, cozy Sunday dinner. We usually serve it with bowtie pasta, but any pasta you have on hand works well. It’s one of our family’s all-time favorites.
A brief simmer of tomatoes, vodka, cream and a few seasonings transforms into a silky, flavorful sauce. It’s rich, comforting, and surprisingly easy to make—definitely a dish that fills the kitchen with irresistible aromas.
About Sunday Gatherings
If you’d like the newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, subscribe at the bottom of this post. I send one email per week with mini meal plans, products I’m enjoying, books I’m reading, and Sunday dinner inspiration. The email goes out early Sunday so you can plan your groceries and the week ahead.
I’ve been so touched by the kind messages about the newsletter. It takes more work than I expected, but the connection it creates makes it worthwhile. My goal is for the newsletter to feel like sharing coffee on a Sunday morning—gentle inspiration and practical ideas to carry you through the week.
I hope you enjoy this Zarlengo family vodka sauce. If you make it (or any Gathered Nutrition recipe), tag me on Instagram—I love seeing your versions of these dishes. Buon appetito!
My Family’s Vodka Sauce
- Author: Mia Zarlengo
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
Description
Zarlengo family vodka sauce — a simple, comforting tomato cream sauce handed down in my family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb pasta (gluten free if needed)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- Handful of diced green onions
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 small can black olives (optional)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4–6 chicken breasts, browned (or 6 oz chopped prosciutto) — omit for meat-free*
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-low in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and green onion and sauté about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the vodka, crushed tomatoes, olives if using, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- If using pre-cooked chicken or prosciutto, add it to the simmering sauce and continue to simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
- Stir in the sea salt and heavy cream. Simmer another 5 minutes, then toss with cooked pasta and serve.
Notes
*You can leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian version. If you add chicken, make sure it’s cooked before adding to the sauce.