At City Spirits Liquors, we’re passionate about beer, wine, and liquor – especially when it’s in our food. Vodka sauce is absolutely delicious. It’s creamy, rich, and thick, and the alcohol content in vodka helps bring out floral notes in tomatoes, basil, and red pepper. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make – even if you usually purchase store-bought sauce!
Ingredients
- ½ stick of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat content)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup vodka of your choice,
- 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, slivered or chopped
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 tsp + 2 tbsp salt
- 1 lb dry penne or other tubular pasta (rigatoni, rotini, etc. work well)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Step-by-step instructions
- Start by adding one gallon of water to a large pot to boil. When it comes to a boil, add the pasta and 2 tbsp salt, and cook according to the instructions on the box. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Place a large skillet or saucepan over med-low heat. Melt the butter and cream together, taking care not to scorch the butter.
- In a separate bowl, dissolve the tomato paste with ⅓ cup vodka.
- Stir this mixture in with the cream and butter. Add the basil and red pepper flakes, and 1tsp of salt.
- Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and the alcohol has evaporated – about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Drain the pasta, reserving around ½ cup of cooking water. Add the pasta to the saucepan, tossing to coat.
- Add the parmesan, and turn the burner to low to combine. Add cooking water as necessary to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately – serves up to 4
Enjoy!
This recipe is easy enough even for the most inexperienced chef – and it’s sure to please! So give it a try today.