PASTA ALLA VODKA
I love pasta with vodka sauce. I've tried many recipes, and this one is my favorite. It's more involved than other methods I've tried, but it's worth it. It seems like it would go more quickly, but it takes just over an hour to make. Let's get into it!
SERVES 6
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 quart heavy cream
- 14oz can peeled whole san marzano tomatoes
- 6oz tomato paste
- 50ml vodka
- 7oz parmigiano reggiano grated
- 1 medium sized onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1lb pasta
FOR THE SAUCE
In a 3-4 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, but not carmelized, about 10 minutes. Turn heat down if any burning or carmelization starts to happen. Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring occasionally, press the tomatoes until all are crushed, about 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
THE PASTA
In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it's just before aldente, about 3 minutes less than the package instructions. About 1 minute before you transfer the pasta to the sauce, add vodka to the tomato sauce and let it gently simmer over medium heat.
Transfer pasta directly to a sauce pot with 1/2 cup of pasta water. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is well coated in sauce and reaches the al dente stage, about 3 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much before the pasta is ready, add more pasta water in 1/4 cup increments as needed.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese until thoroughly incorporated into a smooth, creamy sauce. Taste for salt, and season with more if needed. If you can't detect the vodka, add a few drops more and stir it in before serving; exactly how boozy you want the sauce is a question of taste, but be careful because a heavy hand will ruin the dish. Spoon pasta and sauce onto warmed serving plates and add grated cheese. Serve immediately.