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Friday seems to have become “pasta night” at our house recently. We open a bottle of wine and I whip up a delicious sauce while my husband makes fresh pasta. It’s a fun way to kick off the weekend. Spicy vodka sauce is an excellent Friday night choice as it’s super easy and requires only a few basic ingredients. I picked up the concept up back in college when I waited tables at a little Italian place. The cooks would make vodka sauce for the staff using the spicy diavolo sauce as the base rather than the regular tomato sauce used for menu version. It became a kitchen favorite.
Notes on Spicy Vodka Sauce
This recipe uses only a few simple ingredients. To achieve the best results, make sure they are of good quality. I usually use organic canned tomatoes with as few additional ingredients as possible. Also make sure your garlic and basil are nice and fresh! Lastly, consider using some fancy imported Italian pasta or fresh pasta – we like homemade.
Pair your pasta with a simple green salad and an Italian red wine! If you want a heartier meal, add sliced chicken or shrimp.
If you are not big on spice, start with only 3 cloves of garlic and ½ tsp of red pepper.
Spicy Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large Spanish onion, diced
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 to 1 + ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup vodka
- 2 28 oz cans whole plum tomatoes
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lb pasta (penne, rigatoni, ziti, and linguine are some of my favorites)
- ¼ to ½ cup cream
- ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (for garnish)
- grated Parmesan (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375
- Heat oil in large oven proof casserole pot or saute pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper flakes and oregano and cook 2-3 minutes more over medium low heat. Add the vodka and cook until mixture reduces by half (5-7 minutes).
- Drain the tomatoes through a mesh sieve. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add 1 tsp of salt (or to taste) and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 1.5 hours.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the the pasta following the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Remove the sauce from oven. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the sauce. Reheat the sauce over medium heat and pour in the cream. I start with ¼ cup and add a bit more if needed. Adjust the seasoning and let simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
- Toss pasta with the sauce and heat through. Garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
