Cook It Up: Bold Moves for Family Foods by Alex Guarnaschelli & Ava Clark

Author:Alex Guarnaschelli & Ava Clark [Guarnaschelli, Alex & Clark, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

PENNE ALLA VODKA

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 35 minutes

yield: 6 to 8 servings

This is a red-sauce-joint type of dish, and honestly, it’s maybe not your first thought of the kind of pasta you want to make if you’re a kid. Its richness and pinky-red sauce comes from the cream and vodka that together work to balance the acidity of the tomatoes so nicely. Yes, there is vodka in the sauce—its purpose is to be a bridge between the creamy and tomatoey flavors in the sauce—but don’t stress about it—the alcohol gets almost fully cooked out in the dish before serving. If using vodka, go for the cheap stuff because its edginess gets buried by other strong flavors—there’s no reason to use expensive vodka here. If you’re not comfortable using vodka, simply omit it and add a splash of rice wine in its place.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

¼ cup cheapo vodka

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes and their juices

¼ cup heavy cream, at room temperature

1 pound penne pasta

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. MAKE THE SAUCE: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt. Stir in the vodka, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook the vodka down for about 5 minutes until the mixture has almost no liquid, then add the tomatoes. (If you add the tomatoes too soon and the vodka hasn’t cooked out, there could be an unpleasant raw alcohol flavor in your sauce, so don’t rush this step.) Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, stirring from time to time and breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon as they soften. Cook until the tomatoes taste cooked—there should be no canned tomato taste. Taste for seasoning, then stir in the cream. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Keep warm.

2. COOK THE PASTA: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season the water with salt (it should taste like mild seawater), add the penne, and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure the pasta doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks, until tender but still chewy, or al dente. Set ½ cup of the pasta water aside, then drain the pasta in a large colander.

3. ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet with the sauce. Turn off the heat, stir gently, and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. If the sauce looks thin, gently reduce over low heat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. If it becomes too thick and jammy, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta water. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

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