Penne alla Vodka

Name: Penne alla Vodka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings personer
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 500 g penne rigate; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 30 g butter; 2 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp red pepper flakes; 500 g passata di pomodoro; 1 dl vodka; 4 dl heavy cream; 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated; 12 leaf fresh basil; salt, for the pasta water and to season to taste; black pepper, freshly ground

A pasta dish where tomato sauce is simmered with vodka until the sharp alcohol smell is gone, then finished with cream and parmesan for a pink sauce.

🍽️ 4 servings personer⏱️ 50 min (15 min active)italian

While the pasta water heats up, the soft tomato base is built and simmered, before the vodka is cooked off completely and the cream rounds it out. Meanwhile, cook the penne al dente, and finally combine pasta, cheese, and pasta water directly in the sauce. The glossy, clingy sauce is the dish's most important success factor.

Ingredients

500 g penne rigate
2 shallots, finely chopped
30 g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp red pepper flakes
500 g passata di pomodoro
1 dl vodka
4 dl heavy cream
60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
12 leaf fresh basil
salt, for the pasta water and to season to taste
black pepper, freshly ground

How to make it

Set a large pot with plenty of water over high heat, and add about 10 g salt per litre of water as soon as the water is at a rolling boil. The water takes about 10 minutes to come to a boil, and it should taste distinctly salty, since the penne can only take up salt from the water it cooks in. ⏱ 10 min · passive
Melt the butter together with the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté the finely chopped shallots and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes, until the shallots are completely soft and translucent without taking on color.
Pour in the passata and let the sauce simmer gently over low heat with the lid ajar for 15 minutes, until it is a darker red and the oil beads at the edge of the pan. ⏱ 15 min · passive
Chef's tip The oil beading at the edge is the real signal — it means enough water has cooked off that the fat separates out. Rush this and the sauce stays thin and tastes flatly of raw tomato.
Pour in the vodka and turn the heat up to medium-high so it reduces for 3 minutes while stirring. It has cooked off enough when the sharp alcohol smell is gone and only the sweet tomato aroma remains — otherwise the sauce will taste raw and harsh with alcohol.
Cook the penne in the salted water for 9-11 minutes, until al dente with a firm core. Reserve 2 dl of the cooking water before draining the penne in a colander. ⏱ 9 min–10 min · passive
Stir the heavy cream into the reduced tomato sauce. Let the sauce heat through over low heat for 3 minutes, until the color is an even salmon pink and the sauce flows slowly off the spoon.
Chef's tip Add the cream to a sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil; high heat plus tomato acid can make cream curdle into grainy flecks. Even salmon pink means it has come together.
Toss the drained penne into the sauce together with half of the freshly grated Parmigiano and 1 dl of the reserved pasta water. Stir vigorously over low heat for 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce clings glossy to each piece of penne without pooling at the bottom. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper at the end, since the Parmigiano is quite salty on its own.
Chef's tip Take the pan off the fiercest heat before the Parmigiano goes in; too hot and the cheese proteins tighten and string instead of melting smooth. Stir until you see gloss, not strands.
Divide the penne among four wide, deep pasta bowls and place the basil leaves on top. Put the rest of the freshly grated Parmigiano on the table in a small bowl, so everyone can sprinkle more over as they eat.