Spicy Vodka Pasta Bake

The girls love spicy vodka pasta, whether its reservations at Carbone or a chill night at home. This cheesy pasta bake is filled with spicy Italian sausage and makes for the perfect meal.

We saw vodka pasta all over our social media timelines for like 8 months straight! I even watched a lady boil her pasta in Grey Goose vodka in attempts to make the infamous dish. Like?!? Anyway! Vodka sauce is one of my favorite derivatives of tomato sauce (we talked about mother sauces in the puttanesca recipe!) The sauce is tomato-based and includes a nice shot of vodka to enhance the tanginess from the tomatoes and mellowed down with a tinch of heavy cream and parmesan cheese to create its smooth texture. The vodka is used as an emulsifier to combine the water content from the tomotoes and fat from the cream in the sauce and also brings out the aroma of the ingredients as it evaporates during the simmering process.

The sauce recipes originates back to 1970 Bologna by a Roman chef who wanted to bring light to the many uses of vodka in cuisine. However, penne alla vodka (penne pasta in the style of vodka) didn’t become popular to 1980s or 90s in New York City.

I love a dish that I can prepare quickly and stick in the oven while I take care of other things or finally get a break after a long day so natually, pasta bakes are my JAM. I decided to amplify the flavor and spice levels by adding spicy Italian sausage to the recipe. I sometimes like nice chunks of sausage instead of ground sausage so I decided to slice the sausage prior to browning to get a nice bite in the pasta bake. You can make it without sausage or add chicken breast or your favorite vegan alternative like soy sausage. I really used to love the Morning Star sausage back in my pescetarian life.

I’d like to note that this recipe calls for a full tube tomato paste instead of a can like most of us grab from the store and I wanted to explain why! The canned tomato paste and the tubes are very similar in preparation, however the tubes are preserved with salt compared to citric acid (weak acid found in citrus fruits) which is used in many processed foods. This makes the tubular containers of tomato paste fresher with a stronger taste. A tube of tomato paste can be found at many local stores like Walmart, Target, Kroger, and even Trader Joe’s and weighs about 4 to 5 ounces. If you’d like to use a can of tomato paste, I would suggest using the full can and not the amound recommended in this recipe.

.What you Need:

• 2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

• 9 oz Spicy Italian Sausage Links, possibly 3 to 4 sausages, sliced

• 1 Medium, Yellow Onion, peeled and small diced.

• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

• ⅓ teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

• 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 4 to 5 ounces of Tomato Paste, tube-concentrated instead of canned

• 14 to 15 ounces of Canned Whole Tomatoes, preferably Cento’s San Marzanos

• ¾ cup of Heavy Cream

• ⅓ Vodka, not picky! use whatever you have on hand or pick up while shopping

• 3 to 4 Basil Leaves,

• ½ cup of Reserved Pasta Water, use to thin sauce out if it becomes too thick

• 2 cups of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated plus more for topping

• 3 cups of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

• 3 cups of Penne Pasta, or rigatoni! Cook to al dente which is usually 3 to 4 minutes less than described on the packaging. We don’t want mushy noodz.

• Fresh basil, for topping. this recipe is also safe for chopped parsley I won’t judge!

What to Do:

This recipe makes four servings. I would suggest to double if you’re serving 3 people or more.

1. In a large saucepan or cast iron skillet, saute the sausage until brown on all sides and remove from the heat.

2. Next, add in the onions, garlic, red flake peppers, and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are soft but not browned. This should take between 10 to 15 minutes on medium-low heat. (Remember to cook the onions to your desired softness because the acidity from the tomatoes will prevent them from softening in the sauce)

3. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix into the onions and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the canned whole tomatoes and use a potato masher or large fork to crush the tomaotoes. Cook the mixture down to low heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

4. You can leave the sauce chunky which I do when being lazy and just allow to simmer for a few extra minutes or use a blender or food processor to blend the sauce with the heavy cream. Return the sauce back to the original pan and season to taste with kosher salt.

5. Add in vodka and reserved pasta water and allow the sauce to simmer on low for 5 minutes.

6. Next, time for assembling the pasta bake: Prepare a oven-safe baking dish with non stick spray and cover the botton of the dish in a thin layer or sauce.

7. Layer the pasta, cooked sausage, sauce, and grated cheese (in that order) into the baking dish and top with fresh mozzerella and basil.

8. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, uncovered, and until the cheese is bubbly. I like to set the oven for broil after the 25 minutes and toast the cheese for 3 minutes. Watch carefully, or you’ll burn that shit up.

9. Serve warm and top with as much grated parmesan as your heart desires. Don’t forget to tag @elle.thefoodie in your pictures!