Penne alla Vodka
Makes 4 to 6 servings
What, if anything, does the vodka do to make this sauce so delicious? Combining that tangy-spicy tomato flavor with rich, silky heavy cream to make one luscious sauce is done through emulsification (binding liquid with fat), not unlike thickening a mustard vinaigrette by whisking in olive oil. And alcohol is a solvent that enhances the tomato flavor by releasing compounds that bind the components in the same way wine does, but it leaves no flavor behind to compete with the basic tomato-cream taste. A combination of tomato paste and whole tomatoes gives this sauce just the right sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup/100 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- One 14.5-ounce (425 g) can whole tomatoes (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup (115 g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vodka
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 pound (455 g) penne
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in the oil and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to color, about 3 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, vodka, and salt, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the cream. Use an immersion blender directly in the pan, or transfer the sauce to a stand blender, and carefully puree the sauce for a few minutes, until it is smooth; return the sauce to the pan if necessary.
- Generously salt the water, add the pasta, and cook for 2 minutes shy of the package instructions; the pasta should be slightly soft with a firm chew to it. Scoop out ½ cup (120 ml) of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
- Bring the sauce back to a simmer over medium heat and stir in the reserved cooking water. Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the cheese. Add the pasta and cook for a minute or so, stirring to fully coat the noodles. Serve right away, with grated cheese.
PANTRY
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cook's note
Use a large pot and plenty of water for cooking pasta. When boiling the pasta, there should be enough room for the noodles to “dance” around so they cook evenly. A good rule of thumb is to use at least 4 quarts (3.8 L) of water for every pound of pasta. “Salt the water generously” means about 2 tablespoons (yes, that much!) Diamond Crystal salt per pound of pasta. The salt will season the noodles themselves, giving the final dish, once sauced, full flavor in every bite.
