Penne alla vodka, a creamy tomato pasta dish with a splash of vodka, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, driven by nostalgia and social media. Once a staple of suburban Italo-American restaurants in the 1980s, it is now found on menus from budget eateries to fine dining in cities like New York and London.
In the UK, Marks & Spencer sells a ready-meal version for £4.60, while Waitrose reports a 65% year-on-year increase in sales of its own sauce. At Carbone in London, the cult New York restaurant, over 120 orders of the dish are served nightly. Chef Mario Carbone describes it as “creamy, spicy and chewy” and says it has become a social media phenomenon, with diners posting photos of the pasta as a status symbol.
The dish’s origins are disputed, with claims ranging from 1960s New York to Bologna and Florence. Despite its Italian name, many Italians consider it sacrilegious. Chef Dara Klein of Tiella Trattoria in London says it “hits lots of comforting notes”, comparing it to a grownup version of pasta al pomodoro.
For Gen Z, penne alla vodka has become a trend on TikTok, with model Gigi Hadid posting her own recipe. The dish is relatively cheap and quick to make, and for those who are sober curious, it offers a way to experiment with alcohol without consuming it. The vodka acts as an emulsifier between the cream and tomatoes, though Carbone says it adds no flavour and is “more ceremonial than anything”.
