Description
Creamy vodka pasta perfection recipe brings restaurant-quality Italian comfort to home kitchens with minimal ingredients. Bold flavors and silky sauce make you crave seconds of this simple yet elegant dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) pasta (penne or rigatoni)
- 1 can (28 ounces / 793 grams) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) vodka
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Cooking Fats:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Garnish:
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta until al dente, carefully setting aside a portion of starchy cooking liquid before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium temperature, gently sautéing minced garlic and red pepper flakes until aromatic and slightly golden.
- Carefully introduce vodka to the pan, allowing the liquid to simmer and reduce by approximately 50%, concentrating its intense flavors.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then let the sauce gently simmer for roughly 10 minutes to develop depth.
- Reduce the heat to low and incorporate heavy cream, whisking smoothly until the sauce transforms into a luxurious, velvety consistency.
- Fold in grated Parmesan cheese and butter, creating a silky emulsion that coats the ingredients perfectly.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, using reserved pasta water to adjust the sauce’s consistency and ensure each strand is elegantly coated with the creamy mixture.
- Finish the dish by garnishing with freshly torn basil leaves, offering a vibrant burst of herbaceous flavor and aromatic complexity.
Notes
- Substitute vodka with chicken or vegetable broth for an alcohol-free version that maintains rich flavor complexity.
- Use gluten-free pasta to transform this recipe into a celiac-friendly dish without compromising creamy texture.
- Reserve extra pasta water as a secret weapon for creating perfectly silky sauce consistency, adjusting moisture level during final mixing.
- Experiment with plant-based cream and vegan parmesan for a delectable dairy-free alternative that captures the original recipe’s luxurious essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 580 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg