Penne alla Vodka Recipe

Nys Aqyla    9/09/2022    Creamy Pastas , Italian-American , Pastas , Stovetop Pasta , Tomato Sauces   

Usually served with penne, positively magical with the evaporator, this vodka sauce is a strong tomato flavor combined with the velvety richness of heavy cream.

 

In this recipe

• Importance of vodka in Penne alla Vodka             
• Winning combination of tomatoes

why does it work?

• Using a healthy dose of ketchup gives the sauce the deep sweetness it needs, while a small can of tomato sauce adds a layer of livelier flavor.
   
• When cooking the onions and garlic very gently in the butter makes them very soft and tender, without the harsh onion flavor in the final sauce.
  

• Add vodka to the sauce when the cooking time is only a few minutes to ensure that the sauce is not too alcoholic and does not lack the flavor enhancer of the vodka.

  A staple of Italian-American red sauce restaurants across the United States since the 1980s, vodka sauce has a history of being as opaque as its intense orange color. A famous Italian actor invented it? A 70s restaurant in Bologna? A Columbia University student? Or is he from Russia? Meh, even though I love discovering the history of famous dishes, I can live with this unsolved mystery.

Importance of vodka in Penne alla Vodka

The interesting thing about vodka sauce is not who invented it, but how delicious it is. And yes, vodka is really important here. We know this, because we've done the tests. A few years ago, Kenji pondered the question of whether vodka sauce really needs vodka, and the answer is clearly yes (although sauces are just as delicious without it). In a series of tastings, Kenji found that the neutral alcohol aroma enhanced the fruity aromas of the sauce while providing warmth and a slight crunch that balanced the richness of the sauce.

He also focused on what he found to be the ideal amount of vodka - about a quarter cup per quart of sauce, simmering for about seven minutes before serving. My tests match his, and that's what this recipe calls for (to pick the right timing, vodka is added about a minute before the pasta is combined with the sauce, then everything is cooked together for a few more minutes; by the time the cheese is combined and the pasta is ready, you'll be close to the seven-minute mark).

That said, individual tastes vary, so if you want a richer sauce, you can always add a splash of vodka just before serving to accentuate the wine.

Winning combination of tomatoes

What else makes this sauce great? Well, if you look at enough vodka sauce recipes, you'll find that some of them use huge amounts of ketchup as the sole tomato ingredient in the sauce, while others choose canned tomatoes (sometimes with a few tablespoons). add tomato paste to create depth).

I tested both methods and liked aspects of each. The ketchup and vodka sauce have a great fruity consistency, which, to me, gives the sauce some of its signature flavor. But even a tube full of flour combined with a lot of cream couldn't make enough sauce for four servings, and made the flavor of the onion too overpowering. On the other hand, canned tomatoes give a fresher, more fruity tomato character, but without the depth of tomato paste; A few spoonfuls of paste is not enough to make up for this.

My solution: Use a whole tube (or can) or tomato paste, plus a small can of peeled tomatoes. Taken together, they create a sauce that is nuanced and layered, rich, deep and bright. He is a winner.

As for pasta? Most recipes call for penne, and this is an option here, but at Serious Eats, we love this sauce even more when it comes to the added tartness.

 

 

Recipe Facts :

• Cook: 65 mins            Serves: 4 servings
• Active: 40 mins
• Total: 65 mins
  

Ingredients :

•     3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
•     1 medium (8-ounce; 225g) yellow onion, diced
•     3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•     Pinch red pepper flakes
•     Kosher salt
•     One 4 1/2-ounce (130g) tube concentrated tomato paste or 6-ounce (170g) can tomato paste
•     One 14 1/2-ounce (411g) can whole peeled tomatoes
•     1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
•     1 pound (450g) short tubular pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
•     1/4 cup (60ml) vodka, plus more if desired
•     2 ounces (55g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Direction

In a large saucepan (3 or 4 quarts) or a small Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and red pepper, season with a little salt and cook, stirring frequently until onion is soft but not browned, about 15 minutes; Reduce heat if necessary to avoid darkening.

Add ketchup and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are fragrant and thick, about 3 minutes. Stir the canned tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring frequently, and using a spoon to mash the whole tomatoes, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. 

Add cream and stir to combine. Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until very smooth (you can run the immersion blender, but in our tests the sauce level was too low to safely splatter). Wipe the pan clean, then add the mixed sauce to the pan. Lightly season with salt.

In a saucepan of moderately salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just remaining, about 3 minutes less than specified on the package. About 1 minute before transferring the pasta to the sauce, add the vodka to the tomato sauce and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Using a slotted spoon or slotted spoon, transfer the pasta directly to the pot with 1/2 cup (120 mL) of the pasta water (alternatively, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, then pour the pasta into the colander, then then add to the sauce with 1/2 cup of water to reserve). Increase heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until pasta is evenly coated in sauce and thickened, about 3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick before the noodles are ready, add more pasta water in increments of 1/4 cup (60 mL) as needed. [Shown here with one serving.]

Turn off the heat and stir the cheese until well combined into a smooth creamy sauce. Season with salt and add more if needed. If you can't detect the vodka, you can add a few more drops and stir before serving. The level of alcohol you want for the sauce is a matter of taste, but be careful as heavy hands will ruin the dish. Spoon of pasta

Special equipment

3 liter sauce boat or pan or 5 liter dutch oven, blender, slotted spoon or strainer or colander

Preparation and storage

The vodka sauce can be made before step 3 (mixing). Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To use, heat the sauce in a pan, then follow the recipe instructions from step 4.