Out of Vodka sauce, one case

Vodka substitute for vodka sauce

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Dry white wine

Same amount as the vodka sauce

In vodka sauce, replace the vodka with the same amount of dry white wine and simmer it down by about half before the cream goes in. For a sauce with no alcohol, leave the vodka out and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for every 2 tablespoons of vodka at the end. Either way the sauce is still good: slightly less aromatic, with a little less bite.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Add it to the tomato paste and onions, simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half, then add the tomatoes and cream.
Best for —: penne alla vodka
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full vodka card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Vodka sauce substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of vodka sauce	Verdict
1	Dry white winepenne alla vodka	Same amountTweak it	Tweak it
2	Lemon juicea non-alcoholic vodka sauce	1 tsp per 2 tbspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Chicken or vegetable brotha non-alcoholic vodka sauce	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Dry vermouthpenne alla vodka	Same amountTweak it	Tweak it
5	Ginpenne alla vodka when the only spirit in the house is gin	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Dry white wine

a little fruitier and more acidic than the original

Wine brings alcohol and acid, the two things vodka adds to a tomato and cream sauce: the alcohol carries aroma and the sharpness keeps the cream from tasting flat. It also brings a flavor of its own, which vodka does not.

Best for: penne alla vodka, vodka sauce with pancetta or sausage, baked pasta with vodka sauce
Prep: Add it to the tomato paste and onions, simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half, then add the tomatoes and cream.
Where it fails: A sweet or oaky wine: off-dry Riesling or Moscato makes the sauce sweet, and a heavily oaked Chardonnay turns bitter as it reduces. It is not a non-alcoholic swap.

Lemon juice

slightly rounder and less sharp; no lemon flavor at this amount

The alcohol-free route: leave the vodka out and replace the edge it gives with a small amount of lemon juice. The sauce is a plain tomato cream sauce with the same brightness.

Best for: a non-alcoholic vodka sauce, cooking for children or anyone avoiding alcohol, when there is no wine in the house either
Prep: Stir it in off the heat at the end, after the cream, and taste before adding more.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It replaces the sharpness, not the aroma that alcohol carries. More lemon than this makes the sauce taste sour and can thin the cream.

If the pan looks dry where the vodka would have gone in, add the same amount of pasta water.

Chicken or vegetable broth

more savory, less sharp

Broth replaces the liquid and adds savory depth. It has none of the bite of vodka, so pair it with the lemon juice above.

Best for: a non-alcoholic vodka sauce, sauce that needs to simmer and reduce, vodka sauce with chicken
Prep: Use it in place of the vodka, reduce by half, and finish the sauce with 1 tsp lemon juice per 2 tbsp of vodka replaced.
Where it fails: Salted broth reduces to a salty sauce. Use low-sodium broth, or hold the salt until the end.

Dry vermouth

herbal and slightly bitter

A fortified white wine flavored with herbs. It is stronger than wine and keeps for months once open, which is why some cooks stock it for exactly this kind of job.

Best for: penne alla vodka, vodka sauce with shrimp or seafood, when there is no open bottle of wine
Prep: Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half before the cream goes in.
Where it fails: Sweet (red) vermouth, which is the wrong bottle: it makes the sauce sweet and brown. It is not a non-alcoholic swap.

Gin

a faint piney, herbal note

The closest spirit to vodka in strength, so it does the same work in the pan. What it adds is juniper and botanicals, most of which fade as the sauce simmers.

Best for: penne alla vodka when the only spirit in the house is gin, vodka sauce with plenty of chile and garlic
Prep: Add it off the flame, then simmer at least 5 minutes before the cream goes in.
Where it fails: A strongly flavored or sweetened gin shows through the cream. It is not a non-alcoholic swap.

Tips for substituting vodka sauce

5 tips

Most recipes use ¼ cup vodka for a pound of pasta. Replace it with ¼ cup dry white wine, or leave it out and finish with 2 tsp lemon juice.
Reduce wine, vermouth or broth by about half before you add the cream, 2 to 3 minutes at a simmer. Raw wine under cream tastes sour.
Add lemon juice at the very end, off the heat, and stir. Acid added to boiling cream is how a cream sauce splits.
A pinch of red pepper flakes, cooked with the garlic and tomato paste, puts back some of the bite that vodka gives.
Simmering does not remove all the alcohol. USDA retention data put about 40% of it still in a dish after 15 minutes of simmering and about 25% after an hour, so wine, vermouth and gin are not swaps for someone avoiding alcohol.

Questions

5 questions

Can I leave the vodka out of vodka sauce?

Yes. Without it you have a tomato cream sauce, which is still a good sauce. It is slightly less aromatic and a little flatter, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per 2 tablespoons of vodka, stirred in at the end, brings back most of the brightness.

What is a non-alcoholic substitute for vodka in vodka sauce?

Leave the vodka out and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for every 2 tablespoons the recipe calls for, at the end of cooking. If the sauce needs the liquid, use the same amount of low-sodium broth or pasta water in place of the vodka and reduce it by half first.

What does vodka do in vodka sauce?

It is not there for its own flavor. Alcohol dissolves aroma compounds in the tomato that water and fat do not carry as well, and it adds a faint sharpness that balances the cream. That is why wine, which has alcohol and acid, is the closest swap.

Can I use red wine in place of vodka?

You can, in the same amount, reduced by half. The sauce turns a duller, darker pink and tastes more like a wine-and-tomato sauce. Dry white wine or dry vermouth keeps the color and flavor closer to the original.

Does the alcohol cook out of vodka sauce?

Not completely. A sauce simmered for 15 to 30 minutes after the vodka goes in still holds a share of the alcohol; USDA data put it at roughly 35 to 40%. Per serving that is a small amount, but for anyone who avoids alcohol entirely, make the lemon juice version.