Vodka Pasta
Yes, this pasta had its viral moment a few years ago, and yes, I'm just getting to it now. No regrets. The tomato paste gets cooked down until it's jammy and deep, the cream brings a silky richness, and the vodka lifts the whole sauce in a way that's genuinely hard to explain. It's one of those weeknight pastas that feels like a restaurant dish.
The key is cooking the tomato paste properly. Give it a good 3 minutes in the pan until it darkens and gets a little sticky. That's where all the flavour lives. And please, reserve that pasta water. It's the secret to a sauce that clings to every ridge of the rigatoni.
How to Make Vodka Pasta
This sauce comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta. The only rule: cook that tomato paste properly.
All Ingredients
1. Cook the Pasta
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the cooking salt and cook the rigatoni per packet directions until al dente.
- 2
Just before draining, give the pasta a big stir to agitate the starch, then scoop out at least 1/2 cup (120ml) of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
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2. Vodka Sauce
- 1
Cook the bacon in a large pot or non-stick pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- 2
Cook the shallot and garlic in the bacon fat for 1½ minutes until translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until it darkens in colour.
- 3
Add the cream and stir well to dissolve the tomato paste. Add the vodka, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- 4
Stir in the parmesan and butter until melted. Turn off the heat and wait for the pasta.
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3. Toss & Serve
- 1
Add the drained pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce. Over medium heat, stir for 1–1½ minutes until all the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce.
- 2
Add the crispy bacon and toss briefly to combine. Serve immediately in warmed pasta bowls with extra parmesan and fresh basil.
How to Serve
Serve immediately in warmed pasta bowls. The sauce tightens quickly as it cools. A generous dusting of extra freshly grated parmesan and a few leaves of fresh basil is all it needs.
A simple green salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce alongside. A glass of something cold, a crisp white wine or an Aperol spritz, completes the picture perfectly.
The Recipe
Prep10 min
Cook20 min
Total30 min
Serves4
DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
for 4 serves
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the cooking salt. Cook rigatoni per packet until al dente. Just before draining, stir to agitate the starch and reserve 1/2 cup (120ml) of pasta water. Drain.
Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Cook the shallot and garlic in the bacon fat for 1½ minutes until translucent.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until it darkens in colour. Lower the heat if it's catching on the base.
Add the cream and stir well to dissolve the tomato paste. Add the vodka, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stir in the parmesan and butter until melted. Turn off the heat until the pasta is ready.
Add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat for 1–1½ minutes until coated. Add the crispy bacon and toss briefly. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and fresh basil.
Tips & Notes
You can absolutely make this vegetarian. Skip the bacon and use 2 tbsp of olive oil to cook the shallot and garlic instead. But honestly, the bacon makes it awesome. The crispy bits at the end, the fat carrying flavour through the whole sauce. Worth it.
Reserve the pasta water before you drain. The starch in it is what makes the sauce silky and cling to every ridge of the rigatoni. It's easy to forget, so set a mental reminder before you start.
Freshly grated parmesan matters here. Pre-grated cheese won't melt as smoothly and can make the sauce grainy.
The vodka: the alcohol cooks off completely during simmering. What it does is help release fat-soluble flavour compounds in the tomato that water and cream alone can't. Don't skip it, and don't use expensive vodka. Any mid-range one works perfectly.
Want a little heat? Add a pinch of chilli flakes with the cream.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. It comes back beautifully.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbohydrates
- 78 g
- Total Fat
- 30 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 620 mg
Values are estimates. Actual nutrition may vary.
How It Turned Out
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