Pasta alla Vodka

Shared by Dominic – Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4HOfm5lDhg

Updated link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZwuJmInsNQ
1-pound fusilli or another dried pasta
½ cup (45g) olive oil
3-4 shallots (75g) OR ¼ cup (60g) red onion
4-6 garlic cloves (20g)
½ cup (170g) tomato paste (whole BB can)?
1 teaspoon (2g) crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup (45g) Parmesan, freshly grated – more for serving
1-ounce fresh basil
1 cup (350g) heavy whipping cream (can substitute evaporated milk, see note in updated
directions)
2 airplane sized bottles, about 1/3 to ½ cup (100g) vodka
3 tablespoons (60g) butter
1-2 tablespoons (30-40g) Calabrian chiles
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Begin by prepping your ingredients. Medium dice the red onion or shallots. Thinly slice the
cloves of garlic. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Assemble all the ingredients for the sauce
nearby as you heat a Dutch oven on medium high heat, adding the olive oil. Once heated, add
the onion or shallots and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high to high heat until they begin
to become translucent. Add in the crushed red pepper and bloom in the oil. Stir and let fry for
about 30 seconds before adding the garlic. Add the Calabrian chiles once the oil has taken on a
bit of a red hue from the crushed red pepper flakes. Next add the tomato paste and fry it in the
olive oil mixture to get out the tinny flavor canned tomato paste can sometimes have. Once the
paste mixture has bloomed and is an amber color, add the vodka, allowing it to cook for about
15 seconds or until it evaporates. Add in the heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer,
cooking 4 to 5 minutes to finish the sauce. Taste the sauce and add about 1 teaspoon of salt if
needed, at this time.
Boil 4 quarts of water in a large pot. Once it comes to a boil, season generously with about 2 to
3 tablespoons of salt. Once the water is back to a simmer, add the pasta. While the pasta is
cooking, heat a large sauté pan. Toss in about 1 cup of pasta water and half the vodka sauce
and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add the remaining sauce and additional pasta water and return
to a simmer, stirring once more.
Once the pasta is cooked just to al dente (about 9 minutes for dried pasta, much less for fresh) -
remember it will continue to cook in the sauce – drain the pasta, reserving 1 ½ cups of the
starchy pasta water.
Add the pasta to the saucepan and cut in the butter, allowing it to soften before tossing to
emulsify. Add an additional 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, continuing to toss and combine
the ingredients gently. Taste the pasta, adding more salt if needed.
Remove from heat. Next add about a third of the Parmesan and gently toss again, tasting once
more. Adjust seasonings if need be. Plate the pasta, garnishing with additional Parmesan and
chopped fresh basil and whatever else you might like (chili oil, olive oil, crushed red pepper,
black pepper, etc.) Enjoy!

Updated instructions:
Boil a large pot of water the pasta. Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-to-medium
high heat to cook your sauce.
While those preheat, finely mince shallots or red onion, thinly slice the garlic cloves (can also
smoosh the garlic cloves in a garlic press or mince by hand or grate with a micro plane,
depending on the texture you like) and chop Calabrian chilis. Add ¼ cup (40g) olive oil to the
well-heated pot along with shallots (or red onions), garlic, and a strong pinch of salt. Stir to get
this cooking, sweat down 1-2 minutes to open up their flavors and soften a bit.
Once translucent but not yet caramelizing, add the crushed red pepper flakes and the chopped
Calabrian chiles. Stir to bloom out in the oil. After a minute of frying the spices, add the tomato
paste; cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Once the paste mixture is rust colored, add the vodka and scrape any of the tomato paste
mixture that may be sticking to the pan, mixing it well with the vodka. Give the vodka a minute
or so to cook off. Once the sauce is back to a pasty texture, add the heavy whipping cream and
stir well.
Turn the burner down to low heat and add 2-4 ounces (60-100g) of the hot pasta water to make
sure the sauce doesn’t over reduce while you are cooking the pasta.
Once the pasta water is at a boil, add a generous amount of salt along with the pasta, stirring
occasionally. Cook about 9 minutes before checking the pasta for an al dente doneness as it will
cook more in the sauce. Reserve 1-2 cups of the starchy pasta water before draining to help
adjust the sauciness of the final dish.
Drain pasta and check on the sauce that has been simmering on very low heat about 9-10
minutes. Stir once more and add the cooked pasta. Add 3 tablespoons (about 75g) of butter
into the sauce, along with about ½ cup (120g) of the reserved pasta water. Gently stir to melt
the butter into the sauce and combine the ingredients. Once the butter is melted in and the
sauce is looking shiny, add another ½ cup (120g) of the reserved pasta water along with the
Parmesan cheese.
Off heat, stir to combine. (If you subbed in evaporated milk for the heavy whipping cream, add
25% more butter and Parmesan to account for the lower fat content). Once the cheese has
been slowly melted in, check the texture to see if more reserved pasta water is needed to thin
it out or more cheese and butter to thicken it up. Taste for saltiness and add a sprinkle or two
to taste. Taste once more for any other adjustments and plate, garnishing generously with
freshly grated Parmesan, fresh cracked pepper, chili flakes, and a touch of fresh chopped basil,
along with a swirl of olive oil if desired. Enjoy!