Penne alla Vodka
by I've had a craving for some Penna alla Vodka, but I've never made it before....this is a super simple receipe...and sounds sooo good! I can't wait to try it! (The only thing I'd change is to add some grilled chicken)
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Although this dish, now listed on countless Italian restaurant menus, has a certain novelty, it takes just one bite to discover how successful the combination is. This version comes from Le Sirenuse, in Positano, Italy.
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup vodka
3/4 cup canned tomato puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound cooked ham, finely chopped
2 drops hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 pound penne
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Melt butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in vodka, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 4 minutes. Add tomato puree and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in ham, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Keep sauce warm over very low heat.
Cook pasta in 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt per every 4 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain pasta.
Add pasta to sauce and toss with sauce and cheese, adding some of reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry.
YOU ARE ALL CRAVING THIS NOW! :-D (Especially Mike)
AI Summary
55 Comments
why not skip all the frufru and just have the 2/3 cup of vodky?? LOL kidding
cool. give me a sip.
I made this the other night, came out really good. I added a few of my own touches too. I put in some chopped sun dried tomatoes, parsley, and mushrooms. then I made some shrimp with bread crumbs and lemon in the broiler, came out pretty good!
that sounds awesome. is this true? if it is, call me next time you do it.
what do u mean "is this true" u callin me a liar?!
it sounds so gourmet, man, i just don't know. . .
are you gonna cook this for me when i'm out there? ;)
absolutely!
yipppee! i can't wait ;)
mmm! those extras sound really good. i was thinking i'm gonna make this for my inlaws this week...i think i'll try some of your suggestions.
had some penne alla vodka last night. it wasn't that great. i want some good shtuff.
oh my goodness...i can't believe i live here...i was just talking to the women at work and told them i made penne alla vodka last night....NONE OF THEM KNEW WHAT IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was SHOCKED! i need to be around some Italians...pronto.
One of my coworkers said she thought capers were "little onions". And she didn't know what "aioli" is.
HAHAHA! oh goodness! i took it so foregranted living in LI....at least 40% of it is italian.
Maybe that's where I belong...
i was reading this book the other day and they made reference to long island being the most densly populated place of italians.
haha, they're probably like "is it kinda like macaroni and cheeeeese doncha know???"
i made this last night...it ROCKED! we loved it! and so easy! the added grilled chicken did it just right! (i also added a little milk instead of so much cream...i thought it would be too heavy)
Made this for dinner tonight. It was a HIT!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
oh good! i'm going to make it this week too. :-)
* my mom's family is from Positano
I've never liked this dish. Sorry. I think it's the cream - I don't like cream sauces.
i usually use half heavy cream and the rest half-and-half. that way its just not so heavy and rich.
Haha - I always substitute the cream with white wine. Something about the texture of creamy sauces just makes me sick to my stomach.
i know what you mean, it is super rich. i like it, but if you use just the heavy cream u cant eat much
this is actually my SPECIALTY!
i chop up mushrooms and throw em in, and also throw some shrimp in boiling water for about a minute and then put them right in with the sauce... deeeeeeeelish
i didnt make mine with the ham... maybe i'll try that next time.
you cook???
i cook, i clean, i'd make a great housewife... :)
yeah i cook a little bit. in my family even though my mom is a good cook, my dad cooks just as much and is really good
OH WOW! i SO need to marry you! lol
i can cook but i don't like too. i only like cooking breakfast.
Please take this to the Macking Forum, Thank You.
nice, i think that's a great trade! so when do u wanna set the date for?
hmmm, i'm booked until september so anytime after that will work
let's shoot for oct 1st, that way it won't be super cold outside yet
awwww you're soooo awesome! wait.....i have to go there? you don't wanna come here?? =( we can have a beach ceremony....
sure i'll fly out... where do you want to live?
hmmm....well....i would LUV to stay in OC....so many benefits....there's a need in the spanish so we can serve there, hmmm....excellent pay.....we can hit the beach in december and not worry about getting frost bite...i can teach you to surf......sold yet???
ok sounds good!
awwwwww you're the BEST!!!!
im gonna throw it out there and say ur dad is a BETTER cook... AWWW JUNK...
i was gonna say it :)
nothing knocking my mom, but my dad's got skills
some of the best chefs in the world are men. I like this. hehe. I wonder if it's because women are emotional cooks and don't realy follow recipes?? haha... i have never followed a recipe in my life, i just use them as 'guides' but then do my own thang. Sometims that works, sometimes it does NOT. For some reason I picture a man-chef to like really follow the directions and mathematically figure out the ratio of salt:pepper
Well, cooking is an art, baking is a science. The really good chefs don't need to measure unless they're baking. Professionally cooking is hard work, though, that's why I think more men do it. It's 9 hours a night in a 110 degree kitchen yelling at staff. A lot of women just don't have that in them.
yeah i think you nailed it. cooking def is an art, believe me my dad never follows recipes or makes anything exactly the same way twice. except for caesar salad!
okay, this is lame...and i was not going to post it...cuz it's embarrassing...but due to the topic...i think i have to...
i made a big dinner last night, i got home from work at 5...and i was in the kitchen for like 3 1/2 hours. (we didnt eat dinner til 8:30!) cuz, i just felt like making a "big" meal. so me and austin were STARVING...and everything came out really good. so Austin is done w/ his first plate and he's like...."ahhh, that was good". and i was like...YOU'RE NOT HAVING ANYMORE?! and he's like...yea i'm going to have a little more. so he had another half plate full...and that was it. I WAS SO UPSET! i was like, i've been cooking for hours and that's all you eat?! and i really was upset! and he's like, it's so good! i'm just FULL! but i was still mad. haha...
so, yea....women...emotional cooks....i think so.
Donovan gained 20 pounds after we were married. He says it's because I forced him to eat. Don't feel bad.
hahaha, aw, what a good wife! yea, Austin has gained a good 10lbs. lol it makes me proud. haha
:) Whenever he tells his male friends that he's gained weight since we've been married, they're all jealous. :) :)
yeah, i got so jealous of mike after he got nice and chunky!
Mike looks so much better than he did when he was 16 and skinny! Plus, you can't say Katie's cooking made him gain weight. Veggies do not make you pudgy. Taco Bell does.
aw, hehe. well the bright side is you probably don't have to cook dinner tonight cos you'll have leftovers, no?
yes! no cooking tonight...leftovers on meeting nights are the best scenario. lol
oh shooooot, ur gonna catch it in the back of the head with those wooden spoons....
I think I'll be making this TONITE!!!!!
hmm i want to make this, immediately