Yes, this isn’t your traditional pasta alla vodka but you can get away without the vodka if you bump up the tomato flavor with tomato paste. Just make sure to caramelize the tomato paste with the aromatics in the pan for a few minutes to let it develop some caramelization. I make this pasta at least once a week because it comes together in less than 30 minutes. I rarely ever have to run to the grocery store for this dish because I always have bacon and heavy cream, tomato paste and a box of pasta in my kitchen. So if you’re looking for a quick dinner recipe, try this easy pasta dish. It’s Rey’s favorite pasta dish!
key ingredients
- Tomato Paste: Instead of using vodka to intensify the flavors of tomatoes, replace both the tomato sauce and vodka with tomato paste. You’ll still end up with a creamy sauce loaded with caramelized tomato flavor. Substitute: If you can’t find tomato paste, use a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano tomatoes. If you end up using this substitution, add a 1/4 cup of vodka to the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes over medium-high heat. You’ll end up with a traditional pasta alla vodka sauce.
- Bacon: The bacon gives this pasta a subtle smoky flavor. I prefer to drain the fat from the pan before adding the aromatics because the vodka sauce will turn greasy. You can always save the bacon fat and use it to roast vegetables, fry burgers and bake biscuits. Substitution: Pancetta and prosciutto are also great substitutes as well.
- Pasta: I like to use Farfalle (aka bowtie), Penne, Rigatoni or Rotini for this dish.
key steps
- Render fat from bacon: Cook the bacon over low heat for about 7 minutes to render the fat from the bacon without charring it.
- Caramelize tomato paste: Sauté the tomato paste with the aromatics for about 2-3 minutes so that it develops some caramelization which will add depth to the pasta sauce.
- Reserve pasta water: This pasta sauce is a bit rich so I like to add pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Garnish: I like to top this dish with some fresh basil leaves, red pepper flakes and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. I usually like to toast the red pepper flakes when I sauté the aromatics. However, I have to also feed Rey so I reserve the red pepper flakes for the end.
Pasta alla No Vodka
Ingredients
- 16 oz Pasta Farfalle, Penne, Rigatoni, Rotini
- 8 slices of bacon or 1/2 lb pancetta or prosciutto
- 1.5 cup onions finely chopped
- 1.5 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Set a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta.
- While the pot of water is coming to a boil, make the pasta sauce. Set a large skillet over low heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes until the fat gets completed rendered from the bacon without charring. Stir every few minutes to prevent the bacon from sticking to the pan.
- When the fat is completely rendered from the bacon, pour the bacon and the fat into a strainer to drain the fat from the bacon. Set the bacon aside.
- Place the same skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. Then add the onion, garlic, oregano and red chili flakes. Sauté the aromatics for about 5 minutes. (If you are serving this pasta to children, set aside the red chili flakes for garnish instead.)
- And the tomato paste to the aromatics and cook for another 2-3 minutes until some char starts to develop around the tomato paste.
- Then add the bacon, heavy cream and pasta water and decrease the heat to low. Mix the tomato paste thoroughly into the heavy cream using a wooden spatula or whisk. Cover over low heat for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove and season with salt and freshly crack black pepper at the end.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Drain the pasta and then transfer it to the pan with sauce. Mix the pasta and sauce together. Then add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, red pepper flakes and parsley.
- Plate the pasta and garnish with additional Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
