Super-Simple Vodka Sauce

Perfection on pasta, but also stellar when puddled beneath meatballs, poured over grilled pork or served with roasted vegetables, a great vodka sauce gives depth and height to a weeknight meal or a holiday celebration.

It’s a boozy workhorse that comes together in less than 10 minutes, calling for a few always-on-hand ingredients, and that fantastic Bianco DiNapoli tomato paste from your Vices box.

Yields 4 light servings or 2 heavy servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 small onion (or shallot), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
• 2 Tbsp. of Bianco DiNapoli Tomato paste
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1 oz. vodka
• ¼ -½ cup cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• *Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Method

Heat olive oil in small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté, stirring, until just translucent. Vegetables should be wilted, but not browned. Add tomato paste and stir to coat, until tomato paste is evenly distributed and well incorporated. Increase heat to medium high and pour in vodka. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes, until the alcohol has burned off. Return pan to low heat and splash in cream, to your preference. Add in parmesan and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and taste to adjust. To finish, sprinkle with red chili flakes for a nice kick. An ideal vodka sauce should be an appealing, rich, blush pink. The beauty of this sauce is its adaptability, adjusted your preference of more tomato and acid or more cream and cheese. Serve over your Pastifico G. Di Martino pasta, or over grilled vegetables, chicken or pork.