Shrimp Pasta Alla Vodka - Simply Recipes

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Shrimp Pasta Alla Vodka

30-minute shrimp pasta with a rich, creamy tomato vodka sauce.

By Elise Bauer Elise Bauer Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University. Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process Updated December 01, 2025 11 Ratings Save Print Close

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Why Make This

• Creamy vodka sauce coats fettuccine and shrimp for a comforting restaurant-style pasta.
• Freshly grated lemon zest and parsley brighten the rich tomato and cream flavors.
• A gentle kick of red pepper flakes and plenty of garlic add just the right amount of heat.

Have you ever made pasta with vodka sauce? It's a velvety creamy tomato sauce that happens to be cooked with a splash of vodka, which remarkably makes this simple sauce taste simply sublime.

Typically pasta alla vodka is made with penne pasta. For this version, we are adding in some fresh shrimp, to make the dish more of a main course, and using fettuccine pasta.

We've also added a touch of lemon zest because it works so well with shrimp, and along with the vodka helps brighten this creamy sauce.

So, why the vodka?

According to Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats, quoting Harold McGee, low concentrations of alcohol enhance flavor aromas. Kenji did a full-on test of vodka sauces at various concentrations of vodka and determined that yes, adding vodka does make a difference.

That said, it isn't absolutely necessary. You'll still have a lovely sauce without it.

So if no alcohol is how you roll, just leave out the vodka and enjoy this shrimp fettuccine with a creamy tomato sauce.

More Creamy Pasta Dishes

• Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
• The Creamiest Vegan Pasta
• Creamy One Pot Pasta With Zucchini
• One-Pot Mac and Cheese

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes Print Save

Shrimp Pasta Alla Vodka

Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 30 mins Servings 4 servings Keep Screen Awake

• 12 ounces fettuccine pasta

• Salt

• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

• 4 cloves garlic, minced, about 4 teaspoons

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1/4 cup vodka

• 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 pound peeled, deveined raw shrimp

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put pasta water on to boil:

   Put a large pot of salted water (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water) on to boil for the pasta.

2. Sauté onions, garlic, red pepper flakes:

   Melt butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned.

   Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.

3. Add tomatoes, vodka, cream, zest:

   Add the crushed tomatoes to the onions. Stir in the vodka, cream, and lemon zest. Increase heat to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer.

4. Start cooking pasta:

   As soon as you start simmering the sauce, add pasta to boiling salted water. Pasta should be done in 10 minutes.

5. Add raw shrimp to sauce:

   After the sauce has simmered for 5 minutes, about halfway through the pasta cooking time, taste for salt and add salt to taste (you'll likely need about 1 teaspoon). Add the raw peeled and deveined shrimp to the sauce.

   Cook until the shrimp is just cooked through, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

6. Add cooked pasta to sauce and shrimp:

   When the pasta is done, al dente, strain it and add it to the vodka tomato sauce and shrimp.

   Sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper to serve.

   Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below! 

• Pastas
• Budget Dinners
• Fettuccines
• Shrimp
• Italian

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
666	Calories
17g	Fat
91g	Carbs
32g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	666
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 183mg	61%
Sodium 1223mg	53%
Total Carbohydrate 91g	33%
Dietary Fiber 9g	31%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 28mg	138%
Calcium 202mg	16%
Iron 6mg	35%
Potassium 1109mg	24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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