Dairy-Free Penne Vodka -- A vegan-friendly and easy recipe made with hummus instead of heavy cream! This is soon to be one of your all-time favorite pasta sauces.

I received free samples of Sabra mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Sabra and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. Thanks for supporting the partners that keep Sinful Nutrition running!
Using hummus makes this dish full of plant-protein and fiber, and perfect for my #OneMorePlant movement! (No clue what I'm talking about? Check out this post!) A.K.A my way of showing how to incorporate more plant-foods into everyday dishes. Swapping out heavy cream for hummus gives this a kick of nutrition, but still keeps that creamy dreamy texture that is what makes this dish so delicious!
Sabra actually has over a dozen different hummus flavahs to choose from (roasted red pepper is my FAV!), but I thought the S.D tomato would be the best contender for the non-penne vodka eater, sun-dried tomato hater I am.
What makes this Dairy Free Penne Vodka Delicious & Healthy
- whole wheat pasta
- pasta water
- olive oil
- shallots
- garlic
- vodka
- tomato puree
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Sabra sun-dried tomato hummus
- salt
- parsley
How to make this Dairy Free Penne Vodka
Start by bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cooking 1 pound of whole wheat pasta according to package instructions. Drain (RESERVE ½ CUP PASTA WATER) and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add 2 minced shallots to the pan, and cook until softened, or about 3 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Remove pan from heat, and add ¼ cup of vodka. Reduce heat to low, and add pan back to stovetop. Cook mixture for 2 minutes, then add 1 (15 ounce) can of tomato puree, and ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Let sauce simmer for 5 minutes before stirring in ¾ cup of Sabra sun-dried tomato hummus and cooked pasta. Add 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time if sauce is too thick. Season to taste with salt, and top with chopped parsley before serving.
Pro Tips
- Make sure to REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT before adding the vodka to the pan. That is, unless you are a trained professional, or have a vendetta out for singed eyebrows.
- Want more of a cheesy flavor? Add ¼ - ⅓ cup of nutritional yeast with the hummus. If you're not strictly dairy-free, you can also use parmesan cheese.
- If you have leftovers (unlike this house), add some of the reserved pasta water called for in the recipe to the sauce to keep it from getting too thick.
FAQs
Can you freeze this dairy free penne vodka?
I have not tried freezing this recipe, so cannot say whether or not it holds up. My recommendation would be if you want to freeze it, make & freeze the sauce ONLY, and cook pasta when you are ready to serve to prevent the noodles from getting too soggy.
Can you taste the vodka?
I wouldn't say you can taste the vodka, but it does give the sauce a tell-tale flavor that is hard to recreate without it. You CAN make the sauce without the vodka, but won't have the same flavor profile as the one that includes it.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
As is, no it is not, but can easily be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free pasta instead of whole wheat.
Money-Saving Tips for the Penne Vodka Recipe:
Buy in bulk. If you use other ingredients like tomato puree, pasta, or (ahem) vodka, purchase bigger or bulk sizes for a better deal.
more pasta recipes:
Vegan Mac & Cheese {Cashew-Free}
Balsamic Pasta Salad with Tofu
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & a rating to let me know how it came out!

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Dairy-Free Penne Vodka
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Dairy-Free Penne Vodka -- A vegan-friendly and easy recipe made with hummus instead of heavy cream! This is soon to be one of your all-time favorite pasta sauces.
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat pasta*
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup vodka
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
- ¾ cup Sabra sun-dried tomato hummus
- salt, to taste
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, and set aside. (reserve ½ cup pasta water before discarding)
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add minced shallot, and cook until softened, or about 3 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, and cook another 30 seconds.
- Remove pan from heat, and add vodka.
- Add pan back to heat, and reduce to low .
- Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add tomato puree and red pepper flakes.
- Let sauce simmer for 5 minutes, and stir in hummus.
- Add pasta to pan, and mix to coat.
- Use pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time if needed if sauce is too thick.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- can be substituted with gluten-free pasta if desired.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 526
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 336
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 103
- Fiber: 14
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: vegan, penne, pasta, dairy free, main dish, dinner, vodka sauce
Deborah Brooks
I love penne with vodka sauce. What a fun idea to add hummus to it! Yum
★★★★★
Deanna Segrave-Daly
What a fab idea to use hummus for vodka sauce!
Abbey Sharp
loveee vodka sauce! This pasta dish looks ridiculously good
★★★★★
Farrah
This looks absolutely amazing!! I guess I just need the vodka now to make this! :P!!
Chrissy
I would have never thought to use hummus in a pasta recipe like this! Penne a la vodka is one of my favorite all time pasta dishes so I can't wait to give this a whirl.
★★★★★
Samantha
This looks SO good and So easy!
Shannon
This is SO smart to use hummus when making a dairy free pasta- love it!
Amy Gorin
I just could not live without hummus. This looks amazing!
★★★★
Jodi Robinson
Love the addition of hummus. I've been adding hummus to my traditional recipes, too, and love it!
Catherine Brown
Vodka sauce is one of my favorites! I LOVE this healthier version!
★★★★★
Katy Graham
This sounds delicious!
★★★★★
Erin Palinski-Wade
This looks SO amazing! Love this idea!
★★★★★
Kara Lydon
I have been loving hummus week! I swear it has super powers 😉 Can't wait to try this creamy bowl of comfort!
EA The Spicy RD
This looks so rich and creamy! Great idea to add hummus to the pasta~! definitely want to try this!
★★★★★
Zachary
I have tried two vegan recipes so far and they have turned out great! Cannot wait to try this. My one question is do you have the nutritional values for your recipes? Thank you!
Emily Cooper
Aww thank you, so glad to hear it! 😀 I do not calculate the nutritional info of my recipes though.
Alexandra
LOOKS so good. Can you taste the hummus though?
Alexandra
LOOKS so good. Can you taste the hummus though?