Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Name: Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound fettuccine or another pasta; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small white onion; 1 small red chile pepper; 3 to 4 cloves garlic; 28 ounces canned petite diced fire-roasted tomatoes**; ¼ cup vegetable broth; ¼ cup tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix; ¼ cup voda; 2 cups fresh spinach; ¼ cup reserved pasta water; ⅓ cup heavy cream; salt; fresh parsley; Fresh Parmesan cheese or pecorino; diced fresh tomatoes

User Reviews

4.9

36 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
8 servings
Calories
233 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Jade Rice

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🍝🍅🧀 Make an Italian restaurant-worthy pasta dish EASILY at home in 30 minutes! Pasta is tossed in a tomato-forward sauce that includes red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, spinach, heavy cream for RICHNESS, and of course, vodka! A family FAVORITE comfort food classic recipe that’s doable for busy weeknights, for entertaining, or for date night at home!

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Ingredients

Servings

1 pound fettuccine or another pasta penne, rigatoni, etc., cooked according to package directions for al dente
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste (reduce for less spiciness)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion diced small
1 small red chile pepper diced finely; or to taste*
3 to 4 cloves garlic finely minced
28 ounces canned petite diced fire-roasted tomatoes** optionally drained for a thicker sauce
¼ cup vegetable broth I recommend reduced sodium
¼ cup tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix
¼ cup voda
2 cups fresh spinach plus more to taste if desired
¼ cup reserved pasta water
⅓ cup heavy cream do not substitute
salt to taste; optional
fresh parsley optional for serving
Fresh Parmesan cheese or pecorino optional for serving
diced fresh tomatoes optional for serving

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Instructions

To a large stockpot, add the water, salt the water according to package directions, and cook the pasta as directed for al dente pasta.
Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; set aside.
Drain the pasta into a large colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; set pasta aside.
To a separate, large, dry skillet (Tip - make sure it's sufficiently large, you're making many pounds worth of food), add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, and toast them dry over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes to both release the flavor and temper the heat in the finished dish. Stir frequently.
Add the olive oil, onions, red chile peppers, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Stir frequently.
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir constantly.
Add the canned fire-roasted tomatoes (or regular petite-diced tomatoes for less spiciness) and drain the tomatoes if you want a thicker finished sauce.
Add the tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix, broth (water may be substituted), vodka, and cook simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach (I add more like 3 cups because it wilts down so much and I like the texture it adds), reserved pasta water, and cook for 2 minutes, or until spinach has wilted. Stir frequently, smashing the spinach down into the hot liquid to encourage wilting.
Turn the heat to low, add the heavy cream, and allow the sauce to simmer very gently for about 2 minutes. Tip - DO NOT allow the sauce to come to a fast boil because you risk the cream breaking (the dairy proteins will break, the sauce looks terrible, and you'll have to start over). Just let it simmer very gently. Stir frequently.
Taste the sauce and if you think it needs salt, add some now, to taste. Tips - Make any other necessary seasoning adjustments as well, such as additional black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, whatever you think it needs based on your preferences.
Add the cooked pasta into the sauce (this is why you need a big skillet) and toss well to coat it evenly.
Cover the skillet for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and marry.
Uncover the skillet, and as desired optionally garnish with fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan or Percorino-Romano cheese (do not use a green can of cheese), and/or freshly diced tomatoes, and serve immediately.

Equipments used:

Notes

*Remove the seeds and the placenta to reduce the heat. Most people think the heat is only in the seeds but this is false! Most heat is actually contained in the chile’s placenta, which is the white-ish or lighter colored sac at the top of the chile (after you halve it vertically) where the seeds attach. Google Images is great here if you need a visual. Alternatively, you can use half of the chile, a quarter of it, or none at all.
**If you don’t want your sauce to be spicy, swap fire-roasted tomatoes for regular petite-diced tomatoes.
Storage: Pasta with vodka sauce is best warm and fresh. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting that the pasta will have a tendency to absorb additional vodka sauce as it sits, so don't be surprised if there's less sauce than you remember with the leftovers and the noodles are softer too.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1serving Calories 233kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 342mg (14%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1serving
Calories	233kcal	12%
Carbohydrates	32g	11%
Protein	8g	16%
Fat	9g	14%
Saturated Fat	4g	20%
Polyunsaturated Fat	5g	29%
Cholesterol	15mg	5%
Sodium	342mg	14%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	6g	12%