Turn to Vodka Sauce with Ground Beef whenever you need a comforting family dinner. It’s easy to make and a meaty and satisfying meal with dynamic flavors.
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Homemade vodka sauce with meat
A comforting mix of creamy homemade vodka sauce, hearty beef, and tender pasta come together in this recipe for Vodka Sauce with Ground Beef. Put it on your meal plan for weeks and weeks! It’s bound to become your new favorite.
Vodka sauce is typically made with tomatoes, vodka, cream, and aromatics. Most recipes aren’t made with meat, but it sure can be a delectable addition. In my vodka sauce recipe, the sauce is enriched with ground beef, transforming into a vodka bolognese sauce.
The entire meal is as easy to make as my original Penne Alla Vodka recipe and Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Vodka Sauce. Add all three to your meal rotation to enjoy the best comfort food again and again.
What does vodka sauce taste like?
It’s creamy and luscious, with layers of spice and sweetness throughout, but it’s the beef that makes this dish extra satisfying. Try not to skip it!
Ingredients and substitutions
You only need a handful of ingredients to make homemade vodka sauce with pasta and ground beef:
- Ground beef – Use 80/20 lean ground beef so the meal isn’t overly greasy. Alternatively, replace the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken or sliced Italian sausages instead.
- Vodka sauce – Think of vodka sauce as an extra creamy and subtly spicy tomato sauce for pasta. Roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and chili flakes are blended together before they’re simmered with vodka and heavy cream. The finished vodka sauce is luscious and creamy with a slight bite from the vodka.
- Shells pasta – The sauce gets trapped in the small shells, ensuring you get a mouthful of vodka meat sauce every time. If you don’t have shells pasta, use another short pasta, like Rigatoni, Fusilli, Ziti, Penne, or Farfalle. To make this recipe gluten free, use your favorite short-cut gluten free pasta.
- Parmesan cheese and basil – For serving!
How to make vodka sauce with ground beef
The meal comes together in 30 minutes on the stovetop:
- Cook the pasta: Cook your pasta in boiling water according to the package directions while you work on the beef and sauce.
- Brown the beef: Saute the ground beef in a large oiled pot until it’s no longer pink. Transfer it to a bowl while you make the sauce.
- Cook the aromatics: Saute the onions and garlic in the same pot. Once they’re soft and fragrant, add the oregano, tomatoes, and chili flakes. Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or a regular blender.
- Finish the vodka sauce: Stir the vodka in with the pureed tomatoes. Let it cook for a few minutes so the alcohol can evaporate. Afterward, add the butter, cream, and parmesan.
- Assemble: Stir the meat, basil, and cooked pasta in with the sauce, then scoop it into bowls and top with extra parmesan and basil. Serve and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
The splash of vodka is what gives the sauce a bright, slightly sharp, and almost spicy punch of flavor. What it doesn’t do is make your pasta taste like alcohol!
Vodka sauce is a kid-friendly pasta sauce and shouldn’t get you drunk because most, if not all, of the alcohol, evaporates as it cooks.
The vodka sauce, ground beef, and pasta can all be made in advance. Keep them in separate containers in the fridge for 1 or 2 days, then assemble in a pot on the stove when it’s time to eat.
Yes, but the flavor won’t be as bold and punchy. Simply replace the vodka with lemon juice or water.
Storing and freezing
Store: Keep the cooled assembled pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
Freeze: Transfer the leftover pasta with beef to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.
To freeze vodka sauce: Make a separate batch of vodka sauce (with or without the beef) and pour it into an airtight container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for more pasta dinner ideas?
- Creamy Sausage Pasta
- Lemon Orzo Pasta with Corn
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Gnocchi
- Spaghetti with Garlic Herb Breadcrumbs
Did you try this Vodka Sauce with Ground Beef? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or share a picture on Instagram! I love to share all of your recreations on my page.
Vodka Sauce with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 8 cups roma tomatoes quartered
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes add more if you like it spicy
- ½ cup vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 pound pasta shells, penne or any shorter pasta, cooked
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese grated (plus more for serving)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil roughly chopped, divided
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add half the olive oil, then the meat. Cook on medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pan add the remaining olive oil, chopped onions and cook over medium heat until onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for another 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the fresh oregano, fresh-cut tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes become soft. Stir often to prevent burning. Remove from the heat.
- Using a stick blender, blend right in the pan or add to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended sauce back into the skillet.
- Add ½ cup vodka to the tomatoes in the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat to evaporate the alcohol. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Add the butter, heavy cream and the parmesan. Simmer for another 5 minutes until creamy.
- Add the meat and basil, stir to combine. Salt to taste.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta in the pan with sauce. Toss to combine.
- To serve, add extra parmesan cheese and extra freshly chopped basil on top.
Beatrice
So delicious and tasty. It was so simple to follow. This dish is great with focaccia.
Mattew
Made this tonight and it was so yummy. Loved how easy it was. Thanks Lena for another favorite recipe.
Doug
I loved the Vodka sauce so much, that I had to try the meat version for a meal with friends. It was a serious hit!