Fettuccine with Vodka Sauce
I just bought myself a new cookbook – The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2018, and it is making me so happy! The first recipe I made from the book may be an easy one but it’s also a very tasty one! Fettucine with vodka sauce is something I’ve always wanted to try but never had an opportunity to eat or make before. This one took less than 30 minutes to make and tasted wonderful. We all, kids included, thought it was delicious. I served this fettuccine with vodka sauce with some baked kalamata olive bread and a tossed salad.
How to Make Fettuccine with Vodka Sauce
Drain the tomato juice and set it aside. Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor or with an immersion blender, until smooth. Dice the remaining half of the tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding the cores. Combine the pureed and diced tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups). Add the reserved tomato juice to equal 2 cups total.
Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the minced onion, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until the onion is lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vodka. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat up to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until the alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 -10 minutes; stir frequently and lower the heat to medium if the simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in the cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in salted boiling water, per package instructions just shy of al dente. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the vodka sauce and toss to coat evenly over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce, 1 – 2 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved water if needed. Add the basil and mix well. Serve with parmesan on the side. Enjoy.
Equipment
- Small Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small sweet yellow onion minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- ⅓ cup vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 lb fettuccine cooked in salted water, per instructions
- 2 tbsp fresh basil minced
- Parmesan grated, for serving
Instructions
- Drain the tomato juice and set it aside.
- Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor or with an immersion blender, until smooth.
- Dice the remaining half of the tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding the cores.
- Combine the pureed and diced tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups).
- Add the reserved tomato juice to equal 2 cups total.
- Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the minced onion, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until the onion is lightly golden.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the vodka.
- Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat up to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until the alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 -10 minutes; stir frequently and lower the heat to medium if the simmering becomes too vigorous.
- Stir in the cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water, per package instructions just shy of al dente.
- Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the pasta to the vodka sauce and toss to coat evenly over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce, 1 - 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved water if needed.
- Add the basil and mix well.
- Serve with parmesan on the side. Enjoy.
Had this about a decade ago…and almost forgot about how delicious it was…yours looks fantastic, Pam.
Watching ATK on PBS really started me cooking. I have a lot of their books too and have made many of their recipes. I will have to admit to one failure: lemon meringue pie. I’ve made it twice. If it fails the third time, it’s out. I’ve got the crust and the meringue nailed but the curd … first time, lemon soup which I thought would firm up. Second time, slightly jelled soup. I think you can probably see a trend here 😉
Meanwhile, it’s the first day of spring here in northern Virginia and the snow is coming down steadily. I saw a great joke on Facebook. Be on the lookout: police are searching for Mother Nature. She is bi-polar and believed to be off her medication.
Looks very good Pam and no need for a pre-meal cocktail.
Mmmm, vodka sauce! Love pasta made with it! Haven’t made this in ages, and now you have me craving it. 🙂 Your version looks wonderful — thanks so much!
Really awesome ! I love vodka for cook sometimes !! xo
I like your choice of fettuccine to use with this sauce. Looks like a wonderful meal.
I have quite a collection of ATK cookbooks already, but it sounds like I need to expand it with this cookbook!
Mmmmm now that sounds very yummy, saved for when we have the ingredients and looking forward to it. Take care Diane
Excellent recipe with great flavors. I used Ziti instead of fettuccine…store was out of fettuccine. Also used a 28 ounce can of Italian chopped tomatoes and just dumped in the whole can. Worked beautifully. Family practically licked their plates.
Nancy,
I’m so glad you liked the sauce! It sounds tasty with ziti.
-Pam