Penne alla vodka - Easy Meals with Video Recipes by Chef Joel Mielle - RECIPE30

Penne alla vodka - Easy Meals with Video Recipes by Chef Joel Mielle - RECIPE30

Penne alla vodka

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Penne alla vodka

Made with basil, tomato, cheese and pancetta

If you like basil, tomato, cheese and pancetta, then this is for you! Penne alla vodka, an Italian American dish that became popular in the 1980s. The recipe is quite simple to make, using basic Italian ingredients plus of course some vodka. The vodka seems to bind the sauce together giving you a rich smoothness and the alcohol increases the flavour, so don’t flambe it all away. If you can’t drink alcohol, simply leave it out, most vodka’s don’t have much flavour anyway.

I prefer to blend the canned tomatoes for that smoothness that coats each piece of pasta. The artisanal pasta I used with the rough texture, is perfect for that sauce to cling to it.

Always use extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and good quality canned tomatoes. I prefer the cherry ones, as they have more flavour and usually sweeter in taste.

An easy to prepare amazing Italian meal, minimal ingredients and perfect for any week night dinner, or as in my case, lunch! Bon appetit or should I say buon appetite!

Ingredients

250g Penne pasta
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
½ medium chopped brown onion
2-3 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 whole chili or ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2.5oz - 75g prosciutto sliced into thin strips
1 x 14oz. – 400g canned tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup fresh basil
½ cup vodka
½ cup heavy cream
12 Cherry tomatoes
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt
Olive oil (extra virgin)

Steps

Step 1
First, heat up cooking water for your pasta in a large pot. Salt once boiling, then add pasta and cook al dente.

For the sauce, place a frying pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter until melted. Add chopped onions and sauté a few minutes, do not brown. Add, minced garlic, crushed chili, tomato paste, chopped prosciutto and sauté 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and (away from fire) deglaze pan with vodka & chopped parsley. Add canned tomato puree, return to heat and simmer sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream and reduce a little.
Step 2
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. In a frying pan, add olive oil and place the cherry tomatoes cut side down. Cook until caramelised dark.
Step 3
Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and add directly to the sauce. Add very thinly shredded basil to the sauce, mix and cook 30 seconds. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, remove from heat, and mix well into the sauce.

It’s ready to plate up. Serve with extra grated cheese and arrange the cherry tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves.

Recipe tags: vodka pasta, vodka sauce

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