Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) box penne rigate pasta
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for pasta water)
- 10 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving
Start the Pasta and the Sauce Simultaneously
Fill a large pot with water, add the 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, and bring it to a rolling boil. Drop in the penne and cook according to package directions until al dente, usually ~9-11 minutes.
While the pasta water is heating, start the sauce. Peel the garlic cloves and use the flat side of a chef’s knife to firmly smash each one. You want them split open, not turned to a paste.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook, stirring them around the pan, for ~2-3 minutes until they are fragrant and light golden brown. Do not let them burn.
Build and Finish the Sauce
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the saucepan; be prepared for some splattering. Season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it bubble for a few minutes.
Pour in the vodka. Let the sauce continue to simmer for ~4-5 minutes to allow the sharp alcohol taste to cook off.
Before you drain the pasta, reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
Use a slotted spoon to fish out and discard the smashed garlic cloves from the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream until the sauce turns a uniform pale orange.
Bring It All Together
Add the drained pasta directly to the saucepan with the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss everything together vigorously. The starchy water is essential; it helps the sauce cling to every piece of pasta.
Let the pasta and sauce simmer together for a minute. If the sauce seems too thick, add another splash of pasta water until it just coats the noodles without being soupy.
Take the pan off the heat. Add the chopped parsley and the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Toss continuously until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and emulsified. Serve immediately, with more cheese at the table.
Penne alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce box penne rigate pasta
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for pasta water
- 10 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 28-ounce can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil with the salt.
- Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente.
- While the water heats, peel and smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook the smashed garlic until light golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pan.
- Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, then add the vodka.
- Continue simmering for 4-5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Remove the garlic cloves from the sauce with a slotted spoon.
- Stir the heavy cream into the sauce until uniformly pale orange.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Toss vigorously to combine, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Simmer the pasta and sauce together for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and add the parsley and Pecorino Romano.
- Toss until the cheese melts and sauce is creamy.
- Serve immediately with additional cheese.
