Pasta alla vodka

A lighter cream sauce, with all the flavor

It’s been about 25 years since pasta with vodka sauce started showing up on restaurant menus, but it hasn’t gotten old to me.

I like shortcuts, so I use jarred marinara sauce to make this a meal that I can prepare in about 20 minutes from start to finish, excluding the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta. Recipes like this that are quick and easy are perfect for weeknight dinners, especially if you’re looking for some extra flavor.

This is lovely when you’re craving a cream sauce. The texture of the sauce in this recipe is so much lighter than some other cream sauces, and takes less effort to prepare.

I think this sauce coats farfalle pasta perfectly, but you can use any pasta of a similar size.

Ingredients:
1-pound box farfalle pasta (bowties)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced, about 1 cup
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup vodka
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, add more to taste
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese for the pot, plus more for each serving
Salt to taste
Optional garnish: fresh basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta to the pot and prepare it al dente according to the directions on the box.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves.

Using a large saucepan, start the sauce as soon as you put the pasta on to boil. Warm the saucepan over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes before adding the olive oil.

After a minute add the onion and stir well into the oil. Sauté for 10-12 minutes or until you start to see some caramelized edges and brown bits.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, mix well and pour in the vodka.

Stir constantly until the vodka reduces and evaporates, making sure to scrape any tomato paste or brown bits from the side and bottom of the pot.

Add the pasta sauce all at once and raise the heat to medium.

Bring it up to a soft boil then stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese. The hard bars of cheese may be more expensive, but they produce much more in bulk once grated and have a better flavor than most grated jars.

Stir the cheese and cream well into the sauce until the color changes light, then turn the heat off the pot.

You can either drain the pasta into a colander or scoop it out of the water and add it right into the sauce. Either way, retain a half-cup of boiling pasta water to use when mixing in the pasta.

Mix the pasta into the sauce in 3-4 batches — simply add pasta, mix well, and add more pasta until it’s all incorporated, then add the hot water and give it a big stir.

Let this sit for 5-10 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally to ensure that the pasta is well coated. The sauce will seep into the pasta and expand it in size.

Taste for salt and add it to your taste.

This recipe is on the mild side so younger children won’t find it spicy, but you can add more red pepper flakes if you like. The cream and pepper balance each other nicely.

This recipes serves 3-4 people if served with salad and bread.

Garnish with lots of fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil if you have it on hand.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.