Vodka pasta was invented in 1970s New York, not Italy—the alcohol creates emulsion chemistry impossible with wine.
Creamy Vodka Pasta
Indulge in a luscious bowl of creamy vodka pasta that’s sure to elevate your cozy New Year’s Eve celebration! This delightful dish blends al dente pasta with a rich tomato-vodka sauce, finished off with a splash of heavy cream and a sprinkle of fresh basil for that perfect touch. Get ready to impress your guests or simply treat yourself to a comforting culinary experience!
Prep
10
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This Soviet-Italian love affair exploded in 1980s New York when Russian émigrés discovered Italian-American restaurants—they demanded their beloved vodka in everything, leading Manhattan chefs to splash Stolichnaya into tomato cream sauces, creating a dish that would make both Stalin and Mussolini roll in their graves while American suburbanites declared it absolutely brilliant.
Regional Twist
In Rome's Trastevere district, they substitute the heavy cream with aged pecorino Romano cream and double the red pepper flakes, finishing with a generous pour of local Frascati wine instead of vodka.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 ¼ cup (296 ml) heavy cream
- parmesan cheese (to taste)
- 1 lb (454 g) pasta
- ½ whole sweet onion
- 4 ½ oz (128 g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (59 ml) vodka
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- ½ cup (118 ml) pasta water
- pepper (to taste)
- red pepper flakes (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Remember to save 1/2 cup of pasta water before straining.
- 2
In a large pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- 3
Add tomato paste to the pan and stir to combine. Cook together for about 1 minute.
- 4
With the heat on medium-low, pour in the vodka and stir. Bring to a simmer and stir for about 1 minute.
- 5
Add butter and stir it into the sauce.
- 6
Slowly pour and stir in heavy cream. Once mixed well, taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- 7
Add cooked noodles to the sauce and mix in the reserved pasta water. Stir to coat and combine.
- 8
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the tomato paste for exactly 60-90 seconds until it darkens by one shade to caramelize sugars and eliminate raw metallic taste through Maillard reactions.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Heat vodka to 175-185°F before adding to prevent alcohol shock that can cause cream to curdle when added later, as ethanol disrupts protein structures at higher temperatures.technique175-185°F
- ✓Add heavy cream at exactly 140-150°F sauce temperature while stirring constantly to prevent casein proteins from coagulating and breaking the emulsion.technique140-150°F
- ✓Use pasta water at a 4:1 ratio with cream (2 tablespoons pasta water per 1/2 cup cream) because the starch content creates a silkier sauce through gelatinization.ingredient4:1 ratio
- ✓Choose short pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni because their hollow centers trap 30% more sauce than flat shapes due to increased surface area contact.ingredient30% more sauce retention
Share this recipe
Prep
10
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Vodka pasta was invented in 1970s New York, not Italy—the alcohol creates emulsion chemistry impossible with wine.
Creamy Vodka Pasta
Indulge in a luscious bowl of creamy vodka pasta that’s sure to elevate your cozy New Year’s Eve celebration! This delightful dish blends al dente pasta with a rich tomato-vodka sauce, finished off with a splash of heavy cream and a sprinkle of fresh basil for that perfect touch. Get ready to impress your guests or simply treat yourself to a comforting culinary experience!
The Story
This Soviet-Italian love affair exploded in 1980s New York when Russian émigrés discovered Italian-American restaurants—they demanded their beloved vodka in everything, leading Manhattan chefs to splash Stolichnaya into tomato cream sauces, creating a dish that would make both Stalin and Mussolini roll in their graves while American suburbanites declared it absolutely brilliant.
Regional Twist
In Rome's Trastevere district, they substitute the heavy cream with aged pecorino Romano cream and double the red pepper flakes, finishing with a generous pour of local Frascati wine instead of vodka.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 ¼ cup (296 ml) heavy cream
- parmesan cheese (to taste)
- 1 lb (454 g) pasta
- ½ whole sweet onion
- 4 ½ oz (128 g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (59 ml) vodka
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- ½ cup (118 ml) pasta water
- pepper (to taste)
- red pepper flakes (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Remember to save 1/2 cup of pasta water before straining.
- 2
In a large pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- 3
Add tomato paste to the pan and stir to combine. Cook together for about 1 minute.
- 4
With the heat on medium-low, pour in the vodka and stir. Bring to a simmer and stir for about 1 minute.
- 5
Add butter and stir it into the sauce.
- 6
Slowly pour and stir in heavy cream. Once mixed well, taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- 7
Add cooked noodles to the sauce and mix in the reserved pasta water. Stir to coat and combine.
- 8
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the tomato paste for exactly 60-90 seconds until it darkens by one shade to caramelize sugars and eliminate raw metallic taste through Maillard reactions.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Heat vodka to 175-185°F before adding to prevent alcohol shock that can cause cream to curdle when added later, as ethanol disrupts protein structures at higher temperatures.technique175-185°F
- ✓Add heavy cream at exactly 140-150°F sauce temperature while stirring constantly to prevent casein proteins from coagulating and breaking the emulsion.technique140-150°F
- ✓Use pasta water at a 4:1 ratio with cream (2 tablespoons pasta water per 1/2 cup cream) because the starch content creates a silkier sauce through gelatinization.ingredient4:1 ratio
- ✓Choose short pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni because their hollow centers trap 30% more sauce than flat shapes due to increased surface area contact.ingredient30% more sauce retention