Baked Bucatini with Vodka Sauce
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
35 mins
-
Cook Time
25 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr
-
Servings
4 to 6
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Baked Bucatini with Vodka Sauce
Description
The dish starts by browning ground beef and setting it aside. Butter melts in the pan and sautéed diced onions (or shallots) and garlic soften with seasoning before tomato paste is toasted, deepening its flavor. Vodka is added to deglaze the pan, lifting browned bits, then reserved pasta water, heavy cream, and Parmesan are stirred in to form a creamy sauce.
The bucatini pasta is cooked separately, then combined with the sauce and meat, layered or mixed, and topped with fresh mozzarella and additional Parmesan. Baking at 400°F melts the cheese and allows flavors to meld, creating a slightly browned, cheesy crust contrasting a rich creamy interior. Crushed red pepper and fresh basil add heat and fresh herbal notes when served.
This baked pasta casserole aligns savory meat, creaminess, and bright herbal touches, making it a substantial dish suitable for family meals or gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 onion diced, or shallot
- 6 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup vodka I like Tito’s
- 1 ¾ cups water reserved pasta water
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup Parmesan Cheese plus more for topping, finely grated
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese fresh
- crushed red pepper for topping
- basil for topping, fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking it apart, until the beef is browned and cooked through. Break it into small pieces. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ground beef to a bowl.
- To the same pot, add the butter. Once it is melted, add in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft.
- In the meantime, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil to cook the bucatini.
- Add the tomato paste into the onions. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, so the tomato pasta can toast and get a deeper flavor.
- Deglaze the pan with the vodka, streaming it in and stirring the entire time. Make sure you’re scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Whisk in the remaining pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed. It may need it!
- Spread ¼ cup of the vodka sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the cooked bucatini to the dish, swirling it into piles or nests. You can make large ones or small ones!
- Sprinkle the ground beef on next. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the pasta, coating all the noodles as you go.
- Pull apart the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the pasta.
- Bake the pasta for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the sauce on the edges is bubbly.
- Top with parmesan cheese, fresh basil and crushed red pepper. Serve!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
