Pasta alla Vodka Recipe
Before You Begin
Ingredients · Servings 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped fine
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced to paste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup vodka, divided
- 2 cups passata
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound rigatoni
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Method · 45 min
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 4 ounces finely chopped pancetta and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden brown and fond begins to form on bottom of pot, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Transfer 1 tablespoon vodka to small bowl and set aside.
- Remove Dutch oven from heat and add remaining 7 tablespoons vodka. Return pot to heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until vodka is mostly evaporated and fat in pot begins to sizzle, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in 2 cups passata, ½ cup heavy cream, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer.
- Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to meld flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Add 1 pound rigatoni and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Stir reserved 1 tablespoon vodka into sauce and return pot to low heat.
- Add pasta to sauce and stir until well coated, about 1 minute.
- Add ¼ cup reserved cooking water and stir until sauce looks glossy and fluid, about 1 minute, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed.
- Serve, passing Parmesan separately.
Passata is an uncooked tomato puree usually found near the other tomato products in the grocery store; if you’re buying the Pomì brand, it may be labeled “strained tomatoes.” If you cannot find passata, you can use tomato puree. A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste. We prefer rigatoni for this dish, but any short, tubular pasta, such as penne, can be used.
