Pasta alla Vodka
Pasta alla Vodka with Harissa and Goat Cheese
4 servings | 60 minutes
With all the makings of a labored dish, this easy Pasta alla Vodka comes together in a pinch. I’ve tweaked this classic a bit to bring some more depth of spice and creaminess to this iconic Italian-American dish.
Pasta alla Vodka has been having a moment for a while now and for good reason—it has all the makings of a labored dish but with pretty low effort. I’ve tweaked this classic Italian-American dish a bit to bring some more depth of spice by adding flavors of harissa and chili flakes along with a combo of coconut milk, parmesan, and goat cheese to ramp up the creaminess levels. It's a flavor-packed bowl of noods perfect for a weeknight dinner or a low-key, elevated weekend bite to impress pals.
This creamy tomato pasta was made popular in the States sometime in the 80’s but her history is annoyingly vague and has people fighting over the origins. Is it original to Italy or America? No one knows but too many have opinions they swear are right. Did a vodka manufacturer try to claim it as an original Italian dish to sell some extra bottles? You bet there are rumors. One thing I do confidently know is that this pasta dish curbs a comfort craving so fast. The ethanol in the vodka helps disperse the fat to create an emulsified sauce that blankets the noods so perfectly. I’ve opted to spice up the tomato base with harissa paste, and I've added two unique layers of creamy goodness in lieu of the normal heavy cream: coconut milk and tangy goat cheese.
What’s with the coconut cream, loca?
Some of us are cursed with stomachs that cannot tolerate diary in the same way as others can. I, unfortunately, have been gifted a stomach that changes it’s mind about soft cheese and creamy dairy regularly so I playing with coconut milk in lieu of heavy cream often. It’s a great, shelf stable alt for your dairy sensitive friends. The coconut flavor gets overpowered by the tomatoes and spice in this dish so you won’t even notice she’s there but if you’re protesting, by all means, substitute it for heavy cream and count your blessings you’re stronger than me.
Pasta alla Tips
Vegetarian not your vibe? You could beef this up a little by adding pancetta to this dish! Just start the cooking process by sautéing the pancetta until crispy then add the diced onion and follow my steps from there!
The high acidity in the tomatoes is calling for a dry wine pairing with an equally high acidity to match the tomatoes. A light to medium-bodied red wine with low tannins would pair best so look for Barbera, Chianti Classico, or Beaujolais Villages. If white wine is more your speed, the vodka sauce and harissa are best accompanied by a cool, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
Pasta alla Vodka with Harissa and Goat Cheese
4 servings | 60 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tbsp harissa paste
Pinch of red chili flakes
½ cup vodka
28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
½ cup fresh basil
1 pound dried pasta (pick a medium-shaped nood)
1 can coconut cream (or ½ cup heavy cream)
1 tbsp butter
½ cup parmesan, grated
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons peppercorn goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel)
Instructions
In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion, season with a pinch of salt, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant.
Clear a hole in the middle of your onions and garlic. Add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, heat for 2-3 minutes until it begins to caramelize and darken in color, then mix well with the onions and garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of harissa paste and a pinch of red chili flakes. Mix to combine and cook for another minute.
Deglaze the pan with ½ cup vodka, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any of those yummy brown bits that may have stuck to the pan.
Add in a 28oz can of tomatoes with their liquid, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ cup basil. Mix everything to combine and smoosh up the tomatoes with a spatula. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often and scraping up anything sticking to the bottom.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta noodles once water is boiling and cook to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water before straining.
Using an immersion blender, or regular blender (but omg be careful), blend the tomato sauce until smooth.
Add 1 can of coconut cream (or heavy cream if you’re substituting), stir to combine.
Turn off the heat, add the cooked pasta noodles and ¼ cup of the reserve pasta water. Mix it all to combine. If the sauce feels too thick instead of silky, add the remaining ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Finish with 1 tablespoon butter, ½ cup grated parmesan.
Divide into bowls, top with about 1 tablespoon goat cheese, a sprinkle parsley, and a pinch of flake salt.
