Description
Creamy pesto pasta alla vodka elevates Italian comfort food with a luxurious twist of herbal and tangy flavors. Rich parmesan, fresh basil, and smooth vodka sauce create a memorable dining experience you’ll savor with pure culinary delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 shallot (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1–2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Liquids and Finishing Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
Instructions
- Sauté shallots, garlic, and oregano in a skillet over medium-low heat until shallots turn golden, approximately 5 minutes.
- Lower heat, incorporate tomato paste and red pepper flakes, cooking for 4-5 minutes until mixture thickens.
- Pour vodka into the skillet, simmer for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
- Stir in pesto and cream, creating a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Maintain warmth on low heat.
- Simultaneously, boil a large pot of salted water and cook pasta until perfectly al dente.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water before draining pasta.
- Transfer pasta into sauce, adding 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and butter, tossing until butter melts completely.
- Incorporate parmesan and fresh basil, adjusting sauce consistency with additional pasta water if needed.
- Plate pasta, garnishing with extra basil and cheese.
- Vodka substitution option: replace with equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth.
- Make-ahead method: prepare sauce up to step 4, refrigerate for 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- Freezing instructions: sauce can be frozen in sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw before use.
Notes
- Customize heat levels by adjusting red pepper flakes, making the sauce mild or spicy according to personal preference.
- Elevate vegetarian options by using vegetable broth instead of vodka, maintaining rich flavor complexity.
- Enhance creaminess by slowly stirring parmesan cheese, ensuring smooth texture without clumping.
- Control sauce consistency by gradually adding pasta water, creating perfectly silky coating for pasta.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 652 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg