VODKA PASTA
Vodka pasta is one of those delicious dishes which is faaar greater than the sum of its parts. This is a tough one to beat on any day of the week.
Method
Basic alla Vodka Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is about 1 minute shy of al dente.
Meanwhile, add the oil to a large high-wallet skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the vodka and heavy cream. Transfer the par-cooked pasta to the sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water, ¼ cup at a time, as necessary until the sauce is glossy and coating the pasta.
Turn of the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Then, season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and garnish with more parmesan cheese.
Advanced alla Vodka Method:
Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has rendered out and the meat is crispy, 3-5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy pancetta and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate or bowl. Reserve about ¼ cup of the rended fat in the skillet.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, calabrian chilis, and tomato paste to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomato puree to the skillet and stir to combine. Once the mixture is bubbling, turn the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes or until the mixture is reduced and thickened to the consistency of tomato paste
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is about 1 minute shy of al dente.
Stir in the vodka and heavy cream. Transfer the par-cooked pasta to the sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water, ¼ cup at a time, as necessary until the sauce is glossy and coating the pasta.
Turn of the heat and stir in the cheeses. Then, season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and garnish with the reserved crispy pancetta, more cheese, and chopped herbs of choice.
Ingredients
Basic alla Vodka Ingredients:
8 oz dried penne
1 Tbsp kosher salt + more to taste
2 Tbsp neutral oil
½ yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 oz tomato paste
1 oz vodka
3 oz heavy cream
1 oz parmesan cheese, grated + more to garnish
To taste freshly ground black pepper
Advanced alla Vodka Ingredients:
¼ Cup neutral oil
4 oz pancetta, diced
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 tsp crushed calabrian chili peppers
3 Tbsp sundried tomato paste
1 (14 oz) can tomato puree
8 oz dried mezzi rigatoni
1 Tbsp kosher salt + more to taste
2 Tbsp vodka
3 oz heavy cream
½ oz pecorino romano cheese, grated
½ oz parmesan cheese, grated + more to garnish
To taste freshly ground black pepper
To garnish: chopped basil or parsley