spicy pasta alla vodka

“This delightful variation on the classic Italian dish takes the rich, velvety texture of traditional vodka sauce and infuses it with crushed red pepper flakes for a nice kick.

I enjoy anything that is ‘pink’ or has a creamy tomato sauce.

When I want a comforting meal, I go for penne or pasta alla vodka because it's quick, delicious, and easy to make. I particularly like preparing this dish when I'm feeling down because it uplifts my mood. There are many variations of this recipe, so I'm not sure if mine is authentic, but this is how I usually make it. While penne is commonly used, I often use any cylindrical pasta that I have available in my pantry.

recipe notes

chiffonade is a term that means to cut any long leafed herb into long thin strips, usually for garnishing. to do this, stack leaves, and roll them tightly, then slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll.

to mount, or the french term, monte au beurre means to mount with butter. finishing the sauce with cold nuggets of butter, or mounting gives you a shiny beautiful sauce that’s also silkier on the tongue.

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Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka

Yield 4

By Denise Martinez

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

35 Min

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• penne or pasta of your choice, 16 oz
• shallot, 3 tbsp, minced
• garlic, 2 cloves, minced
• red pepper flakes, 1 tsp or to taste
• tomato paste, 4 oz
• vodka, 4 oz
• heavy cream, 8 oz
• butter, unsalted, 1 tbsp
• reserved pasta water, 6 oz
• parmesan cheese, grated, 4 oz
• basil, 1 bunch, chiffonade, for garnish

Instructions

1. in a large pot, boil enough salted water that tastes like the sea. cook pasta according to box instructions. al dente.
2. in a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil.
3. add in shallots and garlic, heat until fragrant. 1 minute.
4. add in tomato paste and cook until caramelized, or until the tomato paste turns a darker red in color.
5. add in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir. cook for 1 minute.
6. add in vodka and reduce on medium to low heat. 7 minutes.
7. add in reserved pasta water and slightly reduce for 3 minutes or until liquid has slightly thickened.
8. add in heavy cream reduce until slightly thickened.
9. add in parmesan cheese, and stir until melted.
10. remove from heat and mount your butter. stirring until fully incorporated into the sauce.
11. taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
12. plate and sprinkle the basil chiffonade and more parmesan on top.

https://www.babycocinera.com/babyblog/spicypastaallavodka

pasta

Pasta, Dinner

Italian

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hi, i’m denise!

I'm a Product Designer turned Home Chef. With professional training in both fields, I bring creativity and precision to the kitchen.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced cook, my goal is to empower and inspire you through recipes and tips.

I can help you cook and conquer kitchen challenges for amazing meals.

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