Pasta alla Vodka

Name: Pasta alla Vodka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5-6 cloves garlic, minced/pressed; 3-4 shallots shallots, minced; 1 Tbsp canned calabrian chile, chopped; 1/4 cup olive oil; to taste salt; 1.5 tsp chile flake; 1 small can tomato paste; just under 1/2 cup vodka, sub in white wine if needed; 1.5 cups heavy cream, or use evaporated milk + additional butter and parmesan; 2-4 oz pasta water or hot water; 1 lb fusilli or pasta of choice; 5 Tbsp butter; 1.5 cups grated aged parmesan

The king of pantry pastas, this dish combines rich flavors with simple ingredients for a delicious weeknight meal.

30mCook

15mPrep

MedDifficulty

0Forks

4Cooked

pastaitalian-americanrich

Ingredients

5 clovesgarlic (minced/pressed)
3 shallotsshallots (minced)
1 Tbspcanned calabrian chile (chopped)
0.3 cupolive oil
to tastesalt
1.5 tspchile flake
1 small cantomato paste
just under 1/2 cupvodka (sub in white wine if needed)
1.5 cupsheavy cream (or use evaporated milk + additional butter and parmesan)
2 ozpasta water or hot water
1 lbfusilli or pasta of choice
5 Tbspbutter
1.5 cupsgrated aged parmesan

Instructions

Step 0 of 9 completed

Preheat large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Add olive oil, followed by shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Stir and sweat for 1-2 minutes until translucent.

Add chile flake and calabrian chiles. Stir to bloom for about a minute.

Add tomato paste, stir and fry off raw flavor for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add vodka. Stir and cook off alcohol until thickened and vodka has mostly evaporated.

Add cream. Reduce heat to low and stir in hot water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add salt followed by pasta. Stir and cook to al dente, around 8-10 minutes.

Drain water from pasta, reserving 1-2 cups to adjust vodka sauce consistency if needed. Add drained pasta to vodka sauce, followed by butter and around 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Gently stir to melt butter and combine.

Once butter is melted, add additional pasta cooking liquid followed by parmesan. Remove from heat and stir to combine.

Adjust sauce consistency if needed by adding more pasta water or more cheese and/or butter. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Plate up and garnish.