Spaghetti with vodka sauce
Have you tried vodka sauce? I think it's delicious. Naysayers may disagree and even question the point of putting alcohol in tomato sauce, but there's definitely a big difference between a sauce with vodka and one without. If you've never tried it, be reassured by the fact that vodka sauce doesn't actually taste like vodka. Instead, the alcohol enhances the flavours already present in the sauce. Even the 7-year-old pasta fiend in our house adores it.
This is what NYTimes's Food Chain column has to say on the matter: "The alcohol in the vodka enhances the flavor of the tomatoes [in a vodka sauce]. Some flavors are alcohol-soluble, meaning that they will be released only by the addition of alcohol. Vodka can help bring out these flavors without contributing another flavor, as wine or brandy would."
In this simple vodka tomato cream sauce recipe, the alcohol imparts a slightly bitter undertone, lending a complexity to the otherwise straightforward yet tasty sauce. The key to making a good vodka sauce is timing--undercooking will result in a sauce where you will taste the vodka (yuck).
Ingredients (4 servings)
Directions
This is what NYTimes's Food Chain column has to say on the matter: "The alcohol in the vodka enhances the flavor of the tomatoes [in a vodka sauce]. Some flavors are alcohol-soluble, meaning that they will be released only by the addition of alcohol. Vodka can help bring out these flavors without contributing another flavor, as wine or brandy would."
In this simple vodka tomato cream sauce recipe, the alcohol imparts a slightly bitter undertone, lending a complexity to the otherwise straightforward yet tasty sauce. The key to making a good vodka sauce is timing--undercooking will result in a sauce where you will taste the vodka (yuck).
Spaghetti with vodka sauce
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 4 oz mild Italian sausage
- handful of sliced mushrooms
- uncooked whole wheat spaghetti - 4 servings
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch of Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vodka
- 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- parmesan cheese, grated or shredded, to serve at the table
- hot red pepper flakes, to serve at the table
- Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted and oiled water, and then drain and set aside on plates. Keep warm. (Or if you're a multitasker like me, do this while cooking the sauce. Up to you!)
- In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Remove casing from sausages and add to skillet.
- Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add mushroom, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add tomatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.
- Add vodka, stir, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Stir in cream, simmer over low for about 2 minutes, and remove from heat.
- Serve over spaghetti, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with cheese at the table.
