Sunday Pasta®: Penne alla Vodka
(6 votes, average: 9.83 out of 10)
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Shaken, not stirred. No, make that stirred (with a wooden spoon), not shaken. Either way, it’s a very 1970′s sentiment, for a very 70′s dish. And although vodka sauce certainly does now exist in Italy (barely), I suspect that it was invented in New York, by some chef who had just spent the night partying with Andy Warhol and Calvin Klein at Studio 54. By the next afternoon’s prep time, he needed his vodka so badly that he smuggled a bottle into the kitchen. When confronted by the restaurant owner, all he could say was, “But it’s for, it’s for, uh, uh, it’s for my new creation, penne alla vodka.” And the rest is a blurry history.
So let’s thank Calvin, Andy, Donna Summer and the Village People for keeping that chef out all night. And, thankfully for all of us, penne alla vodka is cheaper and more legal than what could have been the alternative, “penne alla coke,” which may sound more exciting, but probably doesn’t taste so good.
So this is my theory. What’s yours? Let me know below… The best answer gets a free Garrubbo Guide t-shirt!
Buon Appetito!
Ed Garrubbo
Check out our wine pairings to complement this dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta when boiling.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and the butter. Add the onion and cook until golden. Add the tomato paste and 1/4 cup of water. Add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vodka, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a few more minutes.
When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the vodka mixture. Mix over medium heat and then serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
Edwin Garrubbo
Ed Garrubbo has been studying, cooking, searching for, and thinking about la cucina italiana for as long as he can remember. Learning from his parents and grandparents, he cooks a wide range of Italian dishes and visits restaurants, cooking schools, markets, and food artisans across Italy, and wherever Italians practice their craft. He is a member of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, a cultural institution of the Italian government, and is also an attorney and investor. He is a citizen of both the United States and Italy.
Benvenuti alla Guida Garrubbo! Join us as we share recipes, wine, stories, and all the good that comes from la cucina Italiana!
Sounds wonderful…I will try it. It is a favorite when I am out. Great History lesson too. Love Aunt Linda