Live the Live ™

Not everyone agrees as to the origins of vodka sauce, some claiming it was invented in Italy in the mid-1970s, and others claiming it was created in an Italian restaurant in New York City. But one thing most people can agree on is that it’s absolutely delicious!

Pasta alla vodka is a favorite of my daughter’s, as are gnocchi (little Italian potato dumplings), so we gave it a shot the other day for dinner, and the results were fantastic.

 

This is not a low-calorie dish by any stretch of the imagination, but we chose to lower the calories at least a little bit by going with half-and-half instead of heavy cream, which is the standard. We didn’t miss it.

I found it interesting that many of the recipes online don’t warn you about being careful with the vodka. It is, after all, 40% alcohol, so when you add it to the pan later in the recipe, take the pan off the heat, away from any open flame, and then ignite it carefully, letting the alcohol burn off before continuing. Don’t walk away from the stove! Serious fire hazard!

We also added some chicken to this dish. I cut up a couple of chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and sautéed them in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper until they had a nice sear on them. I then removed them from the pan and set them aside. I brought them back to the pan when I heated the gnocchi for a few minutes, then added the sauce. (See below.)

1 lb. pasta (or gnocchi)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup vodka (use whatever brand you like)
14 oz. ground tomatoes
1 cup half-and-half
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, I added the olive oil and butter, and then the onion, and sautéed them for a few minutes, until the onions were translucent. Then I added the garlic and cooked a few minutes more.

I removed the pan away from the heat and away from flame, and carefully added the vodka, igniting the alcohol and letting it burn off before returning the pan to the heat. I cooked and stirred for a few minutes.

I added the tomatoes and cooked for a few more minutes. It’s at this point that you can determine just how thick you want your sauce to be. Because we’re using half-and-half later instead of heavy cream, I let the sauce cook down a little bit to thicken it up.

 

I added the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring it in.

I reduced the heat to low and added the half-and-half, stirring and simmering for a few minutes, being careful not to let it overheat or it could curdle.

 

I drained the cooked gnocchi and placed it in the pan I sautéed the chicken pieces in, adding a drop of olive oil. Over medium heat, I just kept tossing the gnocchi in the pan until they got a little bit of color on them. (This is where I added the already seared chicken pieces back to the pan.) Then I added the sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano, mixing well.

If you’re using pasta, place it directly in the pan with the sauce, combining well. If the sauce is a little too thick, add some pasta water. Then add all of the Parmigiano Reggiano, and mix well until the cheese has blended into the sauce. Serve!