Vodka Sauce Recipe You Must Try Out

Aug 11, 2020

 

 

Vodka Sauce is an Italian-American culinary innovation that combines the best of vodka and tomato sauce along with other ingredients. If you’re okay with alcohol-based food, then vodka sauce is undeniably delicious. You can prepare the creamy sauce right at your home for dinner to light up the atmosphere like a mini date or a family get-together. Here is an in-depth guide on vodka sauce recipe.

How Is Vodka Sauce Prepared?

Vodka sauce is prepared in many different versions. So many chefs around the world have invented their own preparation. Hence it tastes different at different eateries. But we’ll discuss how to prepare the authentic Italian version at your home.

The base of vodka sauce is prepared with three ingredients. Those are Tomatoes, Vodka, and Heavy Cream. The final result is a classic Italian sauce rich in cream and pleasing to the eye.

Now to get started preparing the sauce at your place, here’s a complete list of ingredients you’ll need for two people.

Ingredients For Preparing Vodka Sauce

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-sized shallot or sweet onion
• 3-4 medium-sized garlic clove, minced
• ¼ tbsp red pepper flakes
• Peeled tomatoes
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ chopped basil
• 2 tbsp grated cheese, preferably Parmesan
• ½ cup Half-and-half cream
• Fresh pepper
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

You can add or remove the ingredients as per your taste buds. But we recommend you stick to the above for the best results.

Instructions For Preparing Vodka Sauce

1. Take a large saute pan and put on medium flame.
2. Pour the olive and let it heat for few seconds.
3. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes until they’re soft.
4. Add in the red pepper flakes and saute for another minute or two.
5. Now add in the tomatoes and vodkas and stir for additional 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. It is advised to stir continuously.
6. Finally, add the tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper.
7. Lower the flame, put on the lid, and let it cook for 20 minutes or so until it is reduced to half. Occasional stirring may require.
8. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
9. Transfer the mixture to a food processor.
10. Add in ingredients like basil and additional tomato paste and bring it to a fine paste.
11. Now heat the pan once again and put some olive oil in it.
12. First, pour in the fine tomato-vodka paste followed by the half-in-half cream.
13. Stir constantly and keep adding more if needed.
14. Cook until warned for at least 2-3 minutes

Your vodka sauce is now ready and raring to go with anything. In the final section, we’ve discussed the top 4 recipes that work the best with Vodka sauce. But before that, let’s clarify whether Vodka is needed or can be substituted.

Importance of Vodka

Many people are concerned about the taste and the harsh nature of the vodka (especially the people who are not fond of Vodka). But this is needless. Vodka is here to enhance the flavor and not degrade. In fact, vodka works so well with the tomato cream sauce that you won’t get the hint of Vodka.

If you’re aware of food chemistry, then you should know that alcohol is a great solvent for aromatic compounds. So, vodka absorbs the aroma from tomatoes, cream, basil, and pepper and drift into the air. As you sip the soup, vodka releases the aroma, providing you with a tempting combination.

As far as the taste is concerned, vodka is used in small volumes. Therefore, the alcoholic stinging sensation is balanced out by the flavor of tomato and cream. The art of balancing the two depends on the skill of the cook.

Few chefs replace vodka with wine, but then it’s not Vodka sauce anyway. We’d recommend you to stick with Vodka.

Top 4 Vodka Sauce-Based Recipes You Should Try

Now it’s time to get into the mood and cook some real recipes using Vodka sauce. Here are our top 4 recommendations for you.

Penne Alla Vodka

This is the most common type of recipe that’s synonymously used with Vodka sauce. So, when you order a Vodka sauce, they’ll probably get you this. With the addition of the vodka sauce mentioned above, you add in the pasta. The combination of pasta and tomatoes is known to be sublime. But with the addition of onion, cream, and generously added cheese, you’ll create a masterpiece at your home. You can get creative by adding bacon or chicken nuggets as per your wish.

Vodka Sauce With Angel Hair Pasta

People often complain of Penne Alla Vodka being heavy and filling. If you’re looking for an alternative to regular pasta, then you can try the Capelli d’angelo or Angel hair pasta. These are more like noodles. Also, you can replace the usual tomatoes with grape or pear tomatoes.

Vodka Sauce Drizzled On Pizza

Who doesn’t like pizza? Now it’s time to combine the best of pizza with Vodka sauce. Pizza often goes well with alcoholic beverages. So you shouldn’t have any problem pouring the sauce over your pizza along with other toppings and putting it inside the oven for a few minutes. But use the sauce as a coating for pasta and heat immediately. Otherwise, it will make the crust soggy. For best result, top it up with sharp cheese and bacon or meatballs.

Risotto Alla Vodka

If you want to go ahead with rice as a main component instead of pasta or pizza crust, then Risotto Alla Vodka is the dish for you. Arborio rice is preferred because of its aroma and ideal length. After you’ve prepared the sauce, cook the rice till it’s almost done. Now add the sauce along with mascarpone, parmesan, herbs, and lemon for the perfect Risotto Alla Vodka recipe.

When it comes to cooking, you can get innovative the way you want to and experiment with the recipe. But if you’re starting with vodka sauce-based recipes, stick to the above ingredients before fine-tuning on your own. You can also explore our vodka cocktail recipes here.

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