Think about it: When you know what to serve with vodka sauce, you aren’t just making dinner; you’re creating an experience.
You are creating memories that your guests will carry with them long after they have licked the last drop of vodka sauce off their plates.
Make the most of this opportunity by serving dishes that complement (but don’t overwhelm) your vodka sauce.
While delighting your guests in unexpected ways and leaving them wanting more. Our favorite dishes, if you are looking for what to serve with vodka sauce are listed below!
1. Pizza
This is the first on our list of what to serve with vodka sauce. Pizza is a classic side dish for pasta, but it can’t be overlooked when served with vodka sauce.
The saltiness of the cheese and pepperoni compliment the sweetness of the tomato sauce. Additionally, the doughy crust absorbs some of the vodka flavor making for a delicious dish.
2. Casserole
This is next on our list of what to serve with Vodka sauce. It is stable in many households because it’s so versatile. It can be used on everything from chicken and lasagna to pizza and pasta.
Also, the sauce can be made spicy by adding hot peppers or milder by leaving them out, so it’s something that everyone in the family will enjoy.
And as always, casseroles are a great way to sneak in some extra veggies for the picky eater! This is one of the best dishes if you are looking for what to serve with vodka sauce.
3. Noodles
Pasta is a classic pairing for vodka sauce, but so are other types of noodles such as fettuccine, penne, and linguine. If you want to keep it light, try spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
You can also experiment with rice noodles or gluten-free pasta for a change of pace. Add some color by adding tomatoes or red pepper flakes.
4. Cooked Veggies
If you are looking for what to serve with Vodka Sauce, you can’t go wrong with cooked veggies.
Root vegetables like carrots and onions go well in any dish, but they’re especially good when served with vodka sauce.
In addition, peppers and eggplant also taste great when added to the mix.
Pair them up with a type of vegetable that’s strong enough to hold its own against the flavor of the sauce, like green beans or broccoli rabe.
5. Potatoes
Choose a potato that pairs well with the other components in the vodka sauce. Red potatoes are a classic choice, but any firm potato will work.
If you want to serve it as an appetizer, cut your potatoes into wedges or sticks and bake them until they’re tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
This is a great way to warm up any party guests before the main event! Potatoes make for a vodka sauce side dish, go well, and are perfect for cooking in bulk
6. Rice
When it comes to eating, rice is simple to prepare and a decent option for what to serve with Vodka sauce. You may use it in a variety of ways because it is delicious and adaptable.
Preparing sure you use the proper rice and cook it to perfection is the secret to making rice that pairs nicely with vodka sauce.
Before cooking rice, you should drain any extra water to ensure that the grains stay separate when the rice is done.
Here it is! Prepare a one-pot meal by adding cooked rice, ground beef, and diced tomatoes with some water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add salt and pepper if desired. In the meantime, prepare your pasta and vodka sauce.
Drain the pasta in a colander and then add it back into the pot with the vodka sauce on low heat for about five minutes or until hot throughout. Serve this dish over the rice, and enjoy!
7. Bread
Luckily for us, vodka sauce is a versatile dish that can be served over pasta, rice, or even mashed potatoes.
For a more traditional Italian dish, consider serving your vodka sauce over bread.
In order to make your sauce taste extra rich, you’ll want to use half-and-half instead of cream.
You can also add in some fresh basil leaves and Parmesan cheese before it boils if you’re feeling adventurous!
8. Vegetables
In addition to enhancing the color and flavor of your vodka sauce, vegetables also serve to balance out any flavor deficiencies in the sauce.
If you want to reduce your calorie intake, try combining carrot and celery sticks or even green beans.
This is the right side dish if you are looking for what to serve with vodka sauce.
9. Seafood
Since vodka sauce typically has a tomato base, it can be served with a variety of dishes. Seafood is perfect for this because it balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.
When you have seafood, you can eat it raw or cooked. Raw fish and shellfish are great for vodka sauce since they will soak up all the flavors from the sauce.
Cooked seafood is also great for vodka sauce because cooking them in the sauce will add more complexity and balance out any strong flavors.
It’s best to cook seafood before adding it to the sauce so that it doesn’t get overcooked after being added to the pot.
Are you looking for what to serve with vodka sauce? You can’t go wrong with seafood.
10. Meat
Pork Chops Pork chops are a great meat dish good for what to serve with vodka sauce. This is because of their richness, which complements the tomato sauce nicely.
They’re also a nice, hearty option for winter dinners. If you want your pork chops to be extra moist and flavorful, try stuffing them before cooking.
To do this, mix together some breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers) with herbs like thyme or rosemary and garlic, then place that mixture inside the meat before rolling it up and tying it off with some twine.
The outside will cook while the inside stays juicy and moist. Add some vegetables like onion or celery in there as well if you have them on hand!
11. Pasta
When it comes to what to serve with vodka sauce, pasta is the perfect dish for vodka sauce.
It takes the acidity of the tomato-based sauce and balances it out, giving you a delicious and easy-to-make meal.
Meanwhile, if you’re not feeling pasta, try some rice or mashed potatoes as a base instead. To keep your carbohydrate levels even, add another side dish, like a green vegetable.
One idea is to saute ́mushrooms and then add them to your noodles when they’re done cooking so they can soak up all that savory sauce!
12. Burritos
If you want a Mexican dish, try burritos. You can make them in a pot of boiling water on the stovetop or in an electric pressure cooker.
When they’re done, sprinkle them with cheese and let the cheese melt for about five minutes before serving.
Cheese-stuffed shells: Shells are stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with tomato sauce, then baked until bubbly.
13. Tacos
Wondering what to serve with vodka sauce.?Tacos are a great dish to serve alongside the vodka sauce. They are quick and easy to make, which is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Tacos can also be made in advance and frozen, then heated up when you need them. Just microwave the tacos for 1-2 minutes, and they’re ready.
This will save you time during the hectic weeknight meal! Tacos are also hearty and filling, so they’ll keep your family satisfied until dessert time.
14. Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers are a great dish to serve with vodka sauce. They are stuffed with rice, spinach, and sausage meat, then topped off with some cheese.
Also, these stuffed peppers can be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for later use.
When you’re ready to cook them up, all you have to do is thaw them out or heat them up in the oven!
15. Calzone
The calzone is a typical Italian dish that combines the best of two worlds: pizza and pasta. The dough is made from pizza crust, but the inside is stuffed with delicious pasta.
This dish also makes a perfect match for vodka sauce, which is typically cooked in an onion-garlic cream sauce and finished off with butter and Parmesan cheese.
16. Enchilada
There are many delicious dishes that can be served with vodka sauce, but one of the most popular is the enchilada.
Enchiladas are a type of Mexican dish made up of tortillas wrapped around a variety of fillings.
A typical filling includes meat, cheese, salsa, and vegetables. The tortilla is then rolled up and either fried or baked to produce an enchilada.
In Mexico, chicken or beef is typically used as a filling, but pork has been gaining popularity in recent years. You don’t know what to serve with vodka sauce? Enchilada is a great option.
17. Quesadilla
Wondering what to serve with vodka sauce? You will like this! It pairs really well with vodka sauce. Start by heating a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add butter, garlic, and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add peppers and sauté until they are tender.
Next, add the tomato sauce, water, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and thyme leaves and simmer for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, fry an egg on one side in a small skillet over low heat.
Also, when it is done cooking, flip it over and cook for another minute or so, then set it aside to cool off for a few minutes (this will make it easier to peel).
Cut into strips of corn tortillas and place in a large frying pan with butter over medium heat.
18. Lasagna
Lasagna is a great dish to serve alongside vodka sauce. The tomato-based sauce will complement the meat and cheese in lasagna, and the noodles will soak up some of the sauce when you serve them both together.
19. Mashed potatoes
This goes well with this dish because they absorb some of the flavors from the sauce.
Maybe your potatoes have enough milk to keep them moist because that is what gives mashed potatoes their comforting texture.
Toasted bread will work as an alternative side dish if you are trying to avoid carbs or gluten.
20. Stuffed Zucchini Boats
For a lighter option, try making zucchini boats. Start by slicing your zucchini in half lengthwise and scooping out the seeds.
Next, season the inside of the zucchini with salt and pepper before stuffing it with pesto, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and olives.
Finally, place the zucchini in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes at 350° F! Wahoo, you have it! What to serve with vodka sauce.
21. Stuffed Tomatoes
This dish is perfect for a potluck, as it can be made in advance and served cold or at room temperature.
The tomatoes provide a refreshing contrast to the rich vodka sauce while filling you up.
You can make them ahead of time, but they taste even better if you wait until right before serving.
We recommend starting by slicing off the top of each tomato and then scooping out the seeds and pulp without breaking through the skin.
Use a grapefruit spoon if you have one on hand, or use your fingers. Once the inside is cleaned out, fill each tomato with anything that sounds good – you can use some basil pesto on top of small chunks of Brie cheese
22. Grilled Vegetables
Grilling vegetables is an easy way to get a whole meal on the table in minutes. They are also a great compliment to vodka sauce.
A favorite way of cooking vegetables is on a grill pan – they don’t have the same flavor as using charcoal or wood, but it’s still tasty and quick.
Meanwhile, The key is turning the vegetables frequently and not letting them sit in any one spot for too long so they cook evenly and don’t burn.
And if you’re looking for some fresh ideas for what vegetables can be grilled, here are some of our favorites: eggplant, red peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions.
The nice thing about all these choices is that they work equally well, raw or cooked.
To make a dish more substantial, use your leftover grilled veggies to top a piece of toast (or English muffin), add some cheese, and serve alongside your dinner.
You can even cut up your cooked veggies into small pieces to create a vegetable relish for serving with burgers or sandwiches.
23. Kabobs
Chicken kabobs are a great dish if you are looking for what to serve with vodka sauce.
They provide a nice, light meal, and the sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for the chicken or drizzled on top of it.
24. Skewers
There are a variety of flavors and textures that work well as an accompaniment for vodka sauce. Here are a few favorites:
- Meat – cut-up pieces of beef, lamb, or pork work well
- Shellfish – lobster, crab meat, and scallops all go great with vodka sauce
- Vegetables – peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant are all great choices
- Cheese – try grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.
25. Fajitas
These Fajitas are one of our favorite go-to dishes because they can be made in a flash.
They’re perfect for any night of the week, but especially for busy weeknights when you want something filling and flavorful without having to slave over the stove all night.
We love that these pack a ton of flavor and fiber, thanks to the veggies, chicken, and brown rice. And if you are looking for some spice, feel free to kick up the heat by adding some hot sauce!
26. Burrito Bowls
In general, vodka sauce is a versatile sauce that goes well with any type of pasta. However, one of the best ideas for what to serve vodka sauce is a burrito bowl.
The dish combines pasta and rice while adding black beans, corn, and vegetables to create a well-rounded meal in one bowl.
It also has the added bonus of being healthy since it doesn’t have many calories or fat.
27. Nachos
Wondering what to serve with vodka sauce? One of the most popular dishes that go well with vodka sauce is nachos.
They are an easy dish and are perfect for watching the game or other live events. Plus, it is very simple to make.
28. Macaroni and Cheese
There are a variety of dishes that can go well with vodka sauce, but there is one dish that stands out above the rest: macaroni and cheese.
There are many variations of this dish, but we like to keep it simple by using elbow noodles, cheddar cheese, milk, butter, and salt.
29. Gnocchi
A great idea for what to serve with vodka sauce is gnocchi. Gnocchi is a type of dough that is usually served with dumplings. It has a soft, chewy texture and tastes like potatoes in some cases.
The best way to cook this dish is by boiling it for 10-15 minutes before serving it warm. Served alongside vodka sauce, it’s the perfect pasta dish for the cold winter months.
