Pasta with the creamiest vodka sauce for the win tonight.
It’s a major dinner win, trust me.
And right now, we’re allllll about the easy dinners over here.
While the stay-at-home fatigue hasn’t sent us out to dinner yet, it’s kind of whipped us in the kitchen. Give me easy easy easy!
So, vodka sauce!
This comes together in one pan, then you toss the pasta right in. Top with golden toasty rosemary breadcrumbs and you’re set!
Smells like heaven, tastes even better.
Because this creamy sauce is a DREAM.
It’s no secret that tomato sauce has never been my favorite. In fact, I loathed it growing up and didn’t end up truly enjoying it until I was pregnant with Max! Thankfully, that stuck and ever since, I’ve been able make and love things with tomato sauce.
However! Before that, as long as it was a tomato cream sauce? I could get on board. And now, I’d never pass that up. It’s light but decadent at the same time.
For this vodka sauce, we’re using tomato paste. I absolutely love this trick – it’s what I use to make the sauce for my homemade spaghettios. It really adds a rich depth of flavor and also allows the sauce to be super smooth. There are no tomato chunks!
I do like to sauté some shallots and garlic to start, but once that tomato paste goes in, it’s the heart of the sauce.
Then, it’s time to deglaze the pan with some vodka! This helps to emulsify the sauce and create a silky coat-the-back-of-the-spoon feel. You’ll want to eat it right out of the pan.
Or take a big hunk of sourdough to it. Yummm.
The best part about vodka sauce is that it so lightly coats the noodles, but coats them completely. It’s like a silky blanket that covers the pasta and is perfect with crunchy breadcrumbs and parmesan on top.
This dish paired with the perfect salad and a glass of pinot noir is all we need.
Pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce
Yield: 4 people
This pasta with vodka sauce is silky and creamy and flavorful! Top with rosemary breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. It’s the best.
-
1
pound
pasta
(I like a short cut noodle here) -
1
cup
reserved pasta water -
2
tablespoons
unsalted butter -
1
shallot,
diced -
4
garlic cloves,
minced - salt and pepper
-
½
cup
tomato paste -
3
tablespoons
vodka
(I like Tito’s) -
⅓
cup
heavy cream -
⅓
cup
finely grated parmesan cheese,
plus more for topping
rosemary breadcrumbs
-
2
tablespoons
unsalted butter -
½
cup
seasoned panko breadcrumbs -
2
tablespoons
chopped fresh rosemary
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the directions. Be sure to reserve 1 ½ to 2 cups of pasta water for the sauce!
While the water is boiling, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. The color will darken – this is where the flavor is!
Stream in the vodka and stir, scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in ½ cup of the reserved pasta. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well. If needed, you can stream in more of the pasta water until it’s creamy and silky. Top with the rosemary bread crumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan. Serve immediately.
rosemary breadcrumbs
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s sizzling and even browning a bit, stir in the breadcrumbs and rosemary. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until golden and toasty, Throw on top of the pasta!
I can taste it through the screen!
