27 February 2022
Welcome friends. Today I am sharing my recipe for Vodka Sauce. I know that Vodka Sauce was having a moment about 10 years ago. It was everywhere, and a lot of jarred options started to crowd the grocery shelves. I've never tried any of them. This is a sauce that I enjoy, and I make it often during February and March. By then, I am tired of snow and winter, but winter isn't over. This dish feels luxurious, but it isn't time consuming to make. I like to serve individual portions of this dish.
When I thought about adding this recipe, I did some research to see what some of the online recipes were like. I didn't find very many, and most of them start with tomato paste and water. That is also the way that many of the pasta sauces on the grocery shelves are made. I've written about this before, but I stopped buying premade sauces to avoid added sugar and preservatives. I recommend making your own marinara sauce, but it can be made in advance.
Making this sauce, gives you have the opportunity to select your own vodka. For this dish, I like a vodka that has a bite to it. It works well with the the other flavors. I use Ketel One, but I have also used Stoli. I like to add a little arugula to each bowl when I am serving this dish. It has a peppery finish that complements the sauce and adds a touch of green.
Vodka Sauce with Penne, Arugula, and Goat Cheese
about 30 min. prep time
Ingredients
serves 6
- for the marinara sauce
- see marinara with meatballs
- for the vodka sauce
- 3 cups marinara sauce, blended until smooth
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 4 Tbl heavy cream
- 3 Tbl grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- for the pasta
- 6 cups of penne (about 1 lb 2 oz)
- 1 package of washed baby arugula greens
- about 2 oz Goat Cheese
Directions
Make the Marinara Sauce
For the Marinara Sauce, see my recipe for Marinara with Meatballs (link in the Ingredients).
Make the Vodka Sauce
place the Marinara sauce in a medium saucepan. Add the vodka and stir until it no longer sits on the surface of the sauce.
heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. This will take about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat, as needed, once the sauce begins to simmer.
grate the cheese while the sauce warms and set aside. Measure out the cream and set aside.
start the water for the pasta.
add the grated cheese to the sauce, and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Continue to simmer the sauce for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the Pasta
add the pasta to the boiling water and follow the manufacturers instructions for cooking. I measure out 1 cup of dried pasta for each serving and 1/2 cup of sauce.
transfer the sauce to a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta and sauce. Adjust the heat to low. Once the pasta is cooked, add about 3 Tbl of the pasta water to the sauce. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Stir the pasta to coat it with the sauce and heat it in the sauce for about 2 minutes.
place some fresh arugula in each of the pasta bowls. Divide the pasta among the bowls. Crumble some goat cheese on top before serving.