Makes enough sauce for 8 servings. The recipe can easily be cut in half for a smaller crowd.
In my opinion, alla Vodka is the king of pasta sauces. The neutral acidity in vodka boosts the natural sweetness and elevates the texture of the humble tomato. There are numerous variations for this sauce. The best, however, will use some sort of umami component to build on the flavors of the cream and tomatoes. In this version, the umami ingredient is prosciutto. It is first lightly browned to render the natural fat out of the pork to maximize its flavor. Then the onions are softened and whole peeled tomatoes are simmered into into a beautiful reddish-orange sauce. The sauce is then classically finished with cream and Parmesan.
When it comes to pasta shapes, pick one that has lots of ridges or something that the sauce will adhere to readily. Bucatini is a great selection. The small hole in the spaghetti-shaped pasta allows sauce to coat the inside and outside of the noodle. Of course, penne is the most commonly used, but use your this as an opportunity to reflect your culinary style.
Vodka Sauce
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 oz prosciutto, chopped into small pieces
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vodka
2 stems basil with the leaves attached
2 cans (28 oz each) good-quality whole peeled tomatoes (san marzano tomatoes are the best)
2 cups (16 oz) heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta
5 - 6 quarts water
1/4 cup salt
1 lb bucatini pasta, (or any shape of your choice)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh toasted wheat bread crumbs (optional)
Directions:
In a heavy-bottom pot or deep-sided sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly brown the prosciutto in the oil until the natural fat begins to render out of the pork, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and onion, continue to stir and saute until softened but just barely starting to brown, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the stems and leaves of basil. Take the pan away from the heat and deglaze the pan with the vodka. Return pan to heat and reduce the vodka for a quick minute. Then add the uncrushed, undrained whole peeled tomatoes.
Over medium heat, continue to stir and simmer the sauce to reduce the liquid from the tomatoes, until the spoon leaves a trail and you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring. This will take about 20 - 30 minutes depending on how hot your stove runs. The color will also change from a bright red, to more of a reddish-orange. After simmering, remove basil stems. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Most of the tomatoes should fall apart naturally during the cooking process. If any tomatoes are still whole, break them up with a potato masher or an immersion blender. If you choose to have a smooth sauce, run through a food processor or blender. I like a little texture to my vodka sauce, so I run an immersion blender through the sauce on low-speed for just a few seconds.
Turn heat to low and continue stirring until the sauce is still extremely hot, but no longer bubbling. Stir in cream until thoroughly combined. Set sauce aside until ready to use.
Boil the water with the 1/4 cup of salt. According the the directions of the package, boil pasta in the water until al dente. Once pasta is cooked, reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain pasta - do not rinse.
Toss hot pasta with vodka sauce, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. If sauce begins to overly thicken, thin sauce by adding small amounts of the reserved cooking water. Serve on warm plates. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with toasted wheat bread crumbs.
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