12.080

26 (Fri) March 2021

Penne alla Vodka

4.0

by me

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

Penne alla Vodka is an Italian dish.  Consists of penne pasta in a sauce comprising vodka + tomatoes and/or tomato paste + cream + maybe ham/pancetta.  Many competing theories about the origins of the dish, though most seem to arise in Italy sometime around the 1980s.  Popularized in the US, now considered an Italian-American dish.

Although I’ve had the dish in restaurants a couple times, never in the history of GMTD, I was suddenly inspired to try making it upon seeing a recipe recently published in The New York Times (see “Pasta alla Vodka“).  However, I decided to go with the recipe in The Silver Spoon (see also THE SILVER SPOON) – my go-to cookbook these days for Italian cuisine.  The primary difference is that the former calls for canned tomatoes while the latter calls for tomato paste.  On the go, I tossed in red chili flakes for kick and an additional cream for more volume.

It was awesome.  An intriguing blend of sweet + umami + creamy + spicy, all brought together by the vodka, which ultimately didn’t taste like anything but made its presence felt.  The Wikipedia article suggests that the alcohol in the vodka acts as an emulsifier for the tomatoes and cream – I’d believe it.  An instant classic, soon to be a regular part of the rotation.

DRAFT RECIPE

(Amounts are based on my initial notes; I’ll continue to tweak following subsequent attempts.)

• • 400 grams (4 cups) penne (or any short pasta)
  • 100 grams (4 slices) of thinly sliced bacon (or ham)
  • 55 grams (4 TB) unsalted butter
  • 2 TB tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) vodka
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
  • 2 TB minced parsley

1. Boil pasta according to directions.
2. In pan on medium heat, cook bacon until crispy (5 min).
3. Add butter + tomato paste + salt + pepper + chili, and continue to sauté (5 min).
4. Add vodka, stir until alcohol has evaporated (5 min).
5. Add cream + parsley, stir until well mixed (5 min).
6. Drain pasta, toss with sauce, serve.

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