Penne Ala Vodka
I first had this dish at the tender age of 16, at the Planet Hollywood in Cannes, France. We were young and wanted to separate from the parents, and we thought Planet Hollywood was hip and cool. I still remember every second of that experience. It was mind blowing; like fireworks going off in my mouth celebrating the distinct marriage of rich, velvety smooth cream with the juicy tomatoes brought together by a wild kick from the vodka. Upon my return home, I quickly attempted to re-create it. Back then I used a pre-made red sauce by Pomi. With time I’ve recognized the importance of making your own sauce. The red sauce plays an extremely important role in the whole shebang and therefore due diligence and care must be taken in ensuring the correct tomato sauce is used. Got it?
Although it will only take about 20 minutes of your time to make the tomato concasse at home, I realize that some just don’t have the time. In that case, make sure you select a fresh red sauce from your local grocer. They usually have them in the refrigerated section, with the fresh pasta.
With regards to the origin of this dish; some say it originated in Bologna, Italy while others claim it originated back in the 80′s by a company wanting to market its vodka brand to Italians. I can’t help but think its nothing more than an American-Italian concoction. Any other thoughts?
Penne Ala Vodka
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
The Cast of Characters:
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 medium shallots, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 175ml vodka
- 400 ml pureed tomato concasse (RECIPE HERE)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 heaping tablespoons creme fraiche
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste ( I used white pepper, it adds a nice surprising kick)
The Nitty Gritty:
In a deep pot bring enough water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt. Cover and let simmer till needed.
Add butter to sauce pan
Add shallots and dried oregano and sautee for 2-3 minutes or till onions soft and transluscent
Add garlic and sautee for a further 2 minutes
Add the vodka and cook for 10 minutes to reduce it or flambee if you have done it before
You can see below, majority of vodka has evaporated
Add tomato concasse and tomato paste and cook for about 10 minutes or till bubbling. Stir often.
Just before serving, add the creme fraiche
By now the pasta water should have come to a boil. Add the penne and cook according to directions. I used fresh penne which only takes a maximum of 4 minutes to cook.
Drain the penne, add the sauce, and top with basil chiffonade and freshly grated parmesan.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Can’t wait to prepare it!
OMG that is brilliant! I have often been curious about this sauce and now that I see it I want it! Love the photos (especially the flambé!) as it helps so much!
And very clever having the tomato concasse post as a teaser/lead in!
mmm – looks so good, I saw a recipe for this in one of Nigella Lawson’s books and found it intriguing, I must say that yours looks better and I’ll give this a try myself
This looks delish! I’ve only had Penne ala Vodka in restaurants… I guess I’ll have to try it at home!
looking forward to having you make this the next time I come around.
YUM! I love the dish. I have been blogging some great Italian recipes here for a few weeks:
http://alphabetcook.blogspot.com/
Stop on by!
John
I agree that such a recipe cannot come from a bottle, and there’s no need since seeing how straight forward this version is. Now I’m wondering what other types of alcohol would work in this preparation – must be time for a bit of experimentation!
I’m surprised anyone would be inspired by Planet Hollywood food. I used to work there and as a foodie, I thought the fare was horrible. That said, there wasn’t anything in France I didn’t like so maybe the chefs threw the corporate cookbook out the window and made it with pizazz, because you are right, when penne al vodka is good, its great.
Great idea – I don’t think the mention of chopping off your tongue just before you go into a recipe makes you anything like a food snob BTW! Urgh.
This looks AMAZING! Can’t wait to try it — this weekend, perhaps?
P.S. Are you *sure* that’s only 1 T. butter shown in the photo? In relation to the size of the pan, it looks more like 1/4 c.
Thanks for stopping by everyone!
Lucas- i try to stay open-minded and take inspiration from everywhere, then adapt it to my taste.
Paulo- I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you :~/
Jennifer- I’ve sent you an e-mail with the answer but to allow other less confusion. i measure everything using standard spoon and cup measurements. So yes I am sure it’s 1 Tablespoons. Photo’s are taken close up and usign macro lens.
That looks fantastic. Am definitely adding this to my must try list.
I’ve been cooking this dish for a long time. I learned the recipe from an italian chef in Jordan. My Penne Pollo alla Vodka Pomodoro, has chicken and mushroom with it and is very similar to this recipe. vodka can be substituted with white wine.
May this bring you love,peace,respect and success.
just let love be
This looks great! I wanted to do a salmon tagliatelle but now I’m thinking maybe the vodka sauce with salmon… Do you think it will work?
Hello Mirna, yes you can use the sauce and add to it salmon. Also here is a salmon talgiatelle recipe: http://www.dirtykitchensecrets.com/salmon-pasta-with-crispy-goats-cheese/