Family Style Vodka Pasta
Russians and Italians Unite.
Full Recipe Video: Vodka Pasta
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1.5 cans (28 oz.) San Marzano peeled tomatoes
1.5 lb. pasta of your choice (we used Radiatori - see notes)
Olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped fine
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. tomato paste
3 oz. vodka
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream (see recipe instructions)
Parmesan Reggiano
Add the cans of tomatoes to a large mixing bowl, and break down the tomatoes with your hands. Get dirty! You want the majority of the tomatoes broken apart - but a few little chunks of tomato here and there is good. In fact, we like that! Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once water starts boiling, salt heavily. Add pasta when water is boiling. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente pasta. While you’re waiting for water to boil, you can start the sauce:
Coat large sauce pan or saucier with olive oil over medium heat.
Add butter. Melt and combine.
Add onion. Cook down about 2 minutes until the onion starts to get translucent.
Add garlic. Cook with onions for several minutes until soft and golden.
Add tomato paste. Stir and combine with onions and garlic. Let cook down until totally combined.
Add vodka to deglaze pan. Cook down 3-4 minutes.
At this point your water should be boiling and you can start cooking your pasta. Once pasta is in the pot for a minute, add a couple ladles of pasta water to the sauce pan.
Add crushed tomatoes to the sauce pan. Salt and pepper the sauce to taste.
Turn heat to low and simmer sauce about 15-20 mins.
With heat still on low, slowly add the heavy cream. Add a little at a time until you get the desired color/creaminess you want. It should be a nice orangey color. We ended up adding about 3/4 cup of the heavy cream. You can add a little less or a little more depending on your preference.
Do a final taste of the sauce and add additional seasoning if necessary.
Using a spider or large slotted spoon, spoon the cooked pasta into the sauce. DO NOT drain your pasta. Lightly fold pasta into your sauce until fully coated.
Turn heat off, then grate or microplane cheese over the top and stir in.
We like to serve this family style, so we pour all the pasta into a large serving bowl or pasta bowl and put in the middle of the table with a serving spoon so everyone can help themselves! Bring cheese and microplane to the table so everyone can grate fresh parmesan on top of their plates.
Notes:
Pasta: you can make this with any type of pasta you like, but we suggest a shape that has ridges or dimensions so it really soaks up the sauce. We used Radiatori (little radiators). Other pastas that would work well: rigatoni, penne, fusilli, farfalle.
GoodCooking Picks:
Favorite Sauce Pan: Made In 5 qt. Saucier
Microplane for fine cheese grating
