Why would anyone add alcohol and then cook it in a recipe. Vodka has little characterizing flavor? Vodka makers should stick with making drinks
Penne alla Vodka
Whether or not this dish of tube-shaped penne pasta lavished with a peppery, vodka-laced cream and tomato sauce was created in Italy is a matter of heated debate in some quarters; some say it was the result of aggressive marketing on the part of vodka importers. Whatever the case, it has become firmly entrenched as an Italian American classic.
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Credit: Landon Nordeman
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 lb. penne
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 32-oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
¼ cup vodka
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley, to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat; add penne, and cook, stirring, until al dente, about 11 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat; add chile flakes and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and vodka, and cook, stirring, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese, season with salt and pepper, and stir until smooth. Drain pasta, and transfer to pan with sauce; toss pasta with sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley.See all 150 classic recipes featured in our 150th issue »
Ratings & Reviews (9)
Alcohol reacts differently then water when added to a recipe. It is included to add liquidity, not flavor.
The vodka is not there for its own merit, it acts as a catalyst to release and intensify the tomato flavors.
Why would you rate a recipe you haven't made based on something you don't even know about? That's pretty ridiculous. And who hasn't had vodka pasta sauce? It's in every supermarket.
I just made for my family this evening. Reduced the garlic to 3 cloves and the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon. Considering that I have two tweens the pepper could have been reduced to 1/4 teaspoon. Also, to make the sauce a little thicker, as it is a bit thin, I will let the tomato base cook down longer than 5 minutes before I add the cheese and cream. Leftovers seemed to get thickened a bit as well. Dish would be excellent with freshly shaved parm cheese on top. It was an excellent dish, one that I will add to our weekly dinner rotation. Thumbs up from everyone!
just wrote a review but forgot to leave a star rating - 5 stars from all of us!
Williamca, this is quite delicious, perhaps give it a try....wine is also an alcohol and many a pasta dish has wine incorporated into it....perhaps you are an amateur ,or have an immature palate?
Great recipe. I added about a 1/2 cup more Parmesan than the recipe called for and it turned out perfect. If you want a thicker sauce, don't put as much liquid from the canned tomatoes into the pot.
Man, I hate it when readers leave comments here without having tried the recipe. Like, "This looks great! Can't wait to try it!" Yet here I am, leaving a comment without having tried the recipe. No disrespect to Saveur, which we love in our house, but the best vodka rigatoni recipe ever is from May/June 1997 Cooks Illustrated, called Pasta with Tomato and Vodka Cream Sauce. It's perfect with or without the prosciutto, using fresh or dried basil. We tend to increase the red pepper flakes, salt, sugar to taste. Be sure to use only Muir Glen diced tomatoes. And enjoy.
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