Vodka sauce
It sounds fancy. It looks fancy. It tastes fancy. But SURPRISE–this is one of the quickest, simplest, easiest pasta dishes you will ever make. At the same time, the levels of flavor, comfort, and sophistication are through the roof.
Flavor
Vodka, a touch of cream, butter, and parmigiano reggiano balance the acidity of the tomato paste to create a smooth, rich flavor that’s not overly tomatoey, and Aleppo pepper adds the perfect kick of spice (adjustable to your tastes). The sauce has a silky-smooth consistency and clings to the pasta with the help of reserved pasta water. Bonus: Because we use tomato paste rather than whole or crushed tomatoes, you don’t even have to blend it.
You may be asking a very reasonable question: What’s the point of the vodka? It’s rumored that vodka sauce originated as a tactic by vodka manufacturers to boost sales. (Whether that’s actually true is unclear.) So does it really serve a meaningful purpose for the flavor, or is it just a ruse?
The short answer: Vodka does bring a kick of sharpness that enhances the flavor of the tomato sauce. But if you had to leave it out or replace it with wine, you’d still end up with a delicious sauce.
Alcohol
We also need to address the alcohol situation. You’ve probably heard that alcohol “cooks out” or “burns off” due to the heat of cooking. That’s kind of true, but not as much alcohol disappears as you might think. The evaporation of alcohol depends on multiple factors, including time at the boiling point, other ingredients in the dish, and the surface area of the pan. Therefore, the remaining alcohol content is very difficult to predict.
Bottom line: If you cannot consume alcohol for any reason, the only safe option is not to cook with it. You can just replace the vodka with extra pasta water to deglaze the pan.
Meaty Additions
The bacon is theoretically optional, but I do recommend some salty, smokey, crispy protein component (like bacon, pancetta, or spicy Italian sausage) for next-level flavor and an ultra-satisfying balance of textures. By cooking the bacon in the same pan as the sauce, you get the added bonus of deglazing those yummy browned bits and infusing umami goodness into the sauce.
Recipe breakdown
- Cook the bacon or other meat (if using), then remove from the pan and wipe out any excess grease.
- Cook the rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Reserve the pasta water.
- Sauté onions/shallots and garlic in a little EVOO. Season with sea salt and crushed red or Aleppo pepper.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook about a minute.
- Deglaze with vodka, stir in reserved pasta water, and simmer a couple minutes.
- Stir in cream, parmigiano reggiano, butter, and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in rigatoni and bacon. Finish with fresh parsley/basil and extra parm.
The pasta is served here with a side of roasted asparagus and leeks:
- Toss trimmed asparagus and roughly chopped leeks with EVOO, black garlic salt (or fleur de sel), black pepper.
- Roast on a sheet pan lined with foil at 425 for ~15 minutes.
- Finish with white balsamic drizzle and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
- 4 oz rigatoni
- salt for pasta water (~3/4 tsp salt per 4 cups water)
- 2 oz bacon, chopped pancetta, or Italian sausage
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp diced shallot or yellow onion
- sea salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- red pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 Tbsp plain vodka
- 4-5 Tbsp heavy cream or half & half
- 3/4 - 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 2-3 Tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, plus extra for topping,
- 1/2 Tbsp cold butter (salted or unsalted)
- chopped fresh parsley and/or basil, to taste
Instructions
- Add water and salt (about 3/4 tsp per 4 cups water) to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook according to package directions for al dente. When done, remove the pot from heat, pour pasta water into a measuring cup, then drain the pasta (do not rinse). Return drained pasta to the pot and set aside.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the bacon/pancetta/sausage until cooked through and crispy on all sides. Remove meat from the pan and wipe out any excess grease. When the bacon is cool, tear or chop into small pieces.
- Add olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add onions/shallots and sauté over medium heat 3-4 minutes. Season with a generous sprinkle sea salt and black pepper. Stir in minced garlic and cook another minute, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in tomato paste and smear it around the pan. Add red pepper flakes to taste. Let the tomato paste cook about 2-3 minutes, or until dark red.
- Pour vodka into the pan while scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add a few Tbsp pasta water as needed to finish deglazing the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and additional pasta water, adjusting the amounts to create a saucy consistency. Simmer about 1 minute.
- Turn off heat. Stir in parm and cold butter until melted and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in cooked rigatoni and chopped bacon.
- Sprinkle with herbs and extra parm for serving.