Pasta Alla Vodka
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1pound rigatoni or penne pasta
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 4ounces diced pancetta, optional
- 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ¾cup vodka
- 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾cup heavy cream
- ¼cup grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
640 calories; 25 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 738 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water). Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet or pot over medium. Add the pancetta, if using, and fry until crispy, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the vodka and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the tomatoes and then fill the can halfway with water and swish it around to loosen up any leftover tomatoes; add a quarter to half of the water to the pan. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. If you prefer your sauce a little looser, go ahead and add the remaining water and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more. Reduce heat to low, add the cream and cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes an even pinkish-rust color, about 1 minute.
- Step 4
Stir in the cooked pasta and ¼ cup cheese; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, top with additional cheese, if desired, and sprinkle with the oregano and parsley.
Private Notes
Comments
The point of the Vodka, or any alcohol in a recipe, is to extract flavor compounds out of the ingredients that do not dissolve in water. In step 2 here, the vodka is getting lots of flavors out of the pancetta pieces, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and all the yummy bits cooked onto the bottom of the pan. The flavors that come from foods and spices may dissolve best in water, some in alcohol, some in fats like butter or pancetta fat, and some in acidic liquid like lemon juice.
Serviceable, but Pasta Alla Vodka it is not, quite. When I worked under famed chef Stefano Formaggio near Bologna in the 1980s, he would have resigned his commission before using crushed tomatoes instead of whole. Pecorino Romano was the only cheese ever seriously considered, ideally from a ewe sequestered for seven Sundays and made to listen to to Verdi. And in game involving the whole village, the vodka was sneaked from the liquor cache of the oldest man in town. Try it, it makes a difference.
Maybe instead of using just tap water, use some of the pasta water because the starch makes it thicker, therefore actually thickening the sauce (if you want it thicker)
I’ve been making this as written for years, but today I had an absolutely enormous red onion from my farm box, and I used the whole thing. It was equal to two medium-large or three smaller onions, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to just use it all. In fact, it was my best batch to date and I will be increasing the onion from now on.
Honestly this was the first 5-star rated recipe that I’ve made from the NYT that was disappointing. I’ve never made pasta alla vodka without tomato paste, and seeing this recipe didn’t call for it, I decided to follow the recipe as-is and see how it came out. It was kind of bland? I felt like I couldn’t taste the tomatos at all which is surprising since the vodka should amplify them. I also did not have pancetta so maybe that would have helped. Next time I’ll try with pancetta and some tomato paste!
I didn't have pancetta so I used hot Italian sausage. Half-recipe for two. It was simple and classic.