Penne Alla Vodka
Recipe by: Karen Rosenbloom
Penne Alla Vodka...Pink Sauce Pasta...
Whatever you call it, this is a timeless recipe that creates a classic comforting dish.
The only thing better than this dishes' bright pink color is its robust flavor.
After trying many different techniques, here is the recipe I came up with.
Ingredients:
1 Pound Box Penne Rigate
1 28 Ounce Can of Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
2 Shallots, Finely Chopped
3/4 cup Vodka
4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 de-germed Garlic Cloves finely chopped
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper TT
2 TBS Cold Butter
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
I Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
(Plus More for Topping).
Notes about Ingredients:
I recommend using Penne Rigate for its cylindrical shape and ridged texture, but you can use any shape of pasta.
Try your best to buy REAL San Marzano canned tomatoes. It makes all the difference. This is the tomato of choice for REAL Italians.
If you do not have shallots, using one small yellow onion is fine.
If you do not know how to de-germ garlic check out this article.
Note on salt: Do not be skimpy. Season generously with salt, season your pasta water as well.
Takes about 1 hour to make.
Instructions:
To begin, heat a pan with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Add in the minced garlic and shallots... sauté until light brown on medium heat.
Lower heat, carefully Pour in vodka.
Simmer on low heat to cook off the alcohol content. This mixture should reduce by half.
Add in the San Marzano peeled tomatoes. Don't throw away the can!
Take the can and fill it with about 2 cups of water in order to retrieve every last drop of tomato sauce. Add that to the pan.
While simmering, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes. Cook for about ten minutes.
Turn off the heat, blend your sauce into a smooth puree. I prefer using an immersion blender.
Note:
If you do not have one you can use a regular blender or food processor. If you do not have those, the recipe will still work, your sauce will just be more textured than smooth. At this point, Boil a pot of water, salt generously, and add your pasta.
Cook pasta until Al dente, usually about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Take the blended sauce in a pan OFF of the HEAT, add in the cream.
Season your sauce generously with salt, some fresh cracked black pepper, and a small pinch of red pepper flakes.
Combine the drained, Al dente pasta with the creamy sauce.
Fold together the pasta+sauce, add in the butter, and reserved pasta water. Mix vigorously in order to emulsify the sauce and have it stick well to the pasta.
Turn off heat, at the very end incorporate about a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a sharp finish.
I have tried so many recipes and I am so proud to finally have this combination down.
With that being said... This is a very simple recipe. There are SO many things you can add to this sauce to make it your own.
Add-in:
Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp, Bacon, Herbs, Fresh Tomatoes, and more.
I encourage you to not only use this recipe but to incorporate ingredients you have in your homes.
Let me know if you make it!
Thank you for reading.
Best,
Karen
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