Sunday (Vodka) Sauce with Ina Garten
I am a HUGE fan of Ina Garten… I love her easy, accessible style and way of putting together good quality, simple ingredients to create something amazing. As it happens, I am also a HUGE fan of vodka sauce.
You can probably guess where I’m going with this, right? 🙂
Even though I have a pretty good collection of Ina’s cookbooks, I hadn’t run across her vodka sauce recipe until recently when I stumbled on it on someone else’s website.
It’s in the “Foolproof” cookbook, BTW.
During the week I’m the queen of fast and easy dinners – 30 minutes or less is the name of the game. On weekends I get a little more adventurous, so I thought I would give this one a try. This recipe is not hard at all, but it definitely creates a hefty pile of dirty dishes and take a while to cook – 20-30 minutes on the stove, 1.5 hours in the oven and another 15-20 minutes to finish on the stove.
That being said – TOTALLY WORTH IT. This dish is restaurant quality good, rich, and creamy with fantastic depth of flavor and a spicy little kick that I love. I have an easy weeknight version of vodka sauce that I’ve been making for years, but it pales in comparison to this recipe.
If you’re a Sunday sauce kind of a gal, it’s well worth working this recipe into your repertoire. Add some good red wine, a little fresh Italian bread and you’ll look like a rock star.
A full cup each of heavy cream and vodka? Yes and YES.
San Marzano tomatoes?
Side note: Anyone have any input on the great San Marzano plum tomato controversy? I read somewhere that they make a huge difference in recipes as long as you’re getting the real thing – tomatoes grown in the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius in the small town of San Marzano Sul Sarno in Italy. They are pricey – about $4 a can vs $1-$1.50 can for your basic plum tomatoes at my local store. I did use them for the first time in this recipe, but do they really make a difference?
This “medigan” wants to know….
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- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic diced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- 1 cup vodka
- 2 28oz can peeled plum tomatoes
- Kosher sald
- freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 lb penne
- 4 tble fresh oregano
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese + extra to sprinkle on pasta
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Ingredients
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- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp give the sauce a nice kick. If you want a milder sauce, cut it back) and cook for another minute. Add the vodka and cook until reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain your tomatoes through a strainer and crush them into the pan with your hands (wear an apron for this one!). Add 2 tsp kosher salt and a good grind of fresh pepper. Cover and cook in the oven for 1.5 hours. Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente.
- Pour your tomato mixture into the food processor and puree until smooth. Return to pan.
- Add fresh oregano and the heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 10 more minutes. Toss the pasta in the sauce and simmer for a couple more minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano and serve. Top with additional pecorino romano and a sprinkle of parsley.
Source - Ina Garten's "Foolproof" cookbook: Nick and Toni's Penne alla Vecchia Bettola
I spaced out and didn't pick up fresh oregano (and it's too early for my herb garden here in NY) for this recipe, so I added a sprinkle of dried oregano and dried basil instead. It still came out fantastic, I didn't adjust the recipe here because I'm guessing the fresh herbs will just put it over the top and I'll definitely include them next time. Also, I almost always sub pecorino romano for parmesan, which is what the original recipe called for - I like the flavor better.
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