It pays to perfect the classics. Pasta with vodka sauce is an easy dish that is both simple and sumptuous. Adding quick shrimp scampi elevates it to a perfect meal for a date night.
Total: 30 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium onion
- EVOO
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 large cloves garlic
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste OR 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 can (28 ounces) Italian crushed tomatoes
- A few leaves of basil, torn, plus a few to serve
- 1 pound penne rigate pasta
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup Pernod or white vermouth
- A handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- A handful freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table, optional ( and controversial to some Italians)
Directions
- Place a large pot of water on the stove for pasta. Also put up a deep skillet for sauce and a nonstick skillet for shrimp.
- Gather your ingredients.
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- In a large deep skillet, heat EVOO, a turn of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and when it foams add the onions. Stir to soften while you peel and chop the garlic. Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic to onions and season with salt. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste or about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Add vodka and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and tear in a few leaves of basil. Reduce heat and simmer sauce, 10 minutes.
- Season pasta water with a fat tablespoon of salt, add penne and cook 1 minute less than package directions, about 8 minutes. Have a mug or measuring cup on hand.
- Add shrimp to a medium bowl and toss with remaining garlic. Thinly slice a lemon and toss with shrimp.
- In the second skillet, heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high and melt in 2 tablespoons butter. Add the shrimp mixture and toss 2 to 3 minutes; shrimp should be pink and opaque. Add a splash of Pernod or vermouth, the remaining red pepper flakes, a little salt and parsley; toss. Turn off heat.
- Add cream to sauce and stir. Add shrimp to sauce, bring back to a bubble and turn off heat.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup of starchy salty water and drain pasta or transfer to sauce with a spider. Toss pasta with sauce and grated cheese, using water to loosen as necessary.
- Transfer pasta to large serving bowl or to individual shallow bowls to serve.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container Serving Size1
- Amount Per ServingCalories1163
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 46g71%
- Saturated Fat 23g115%
- Cholesterol 283mg95%
- Sodium 1479mg62%
- Total Carbohydrate 107g36%
- Dietary Fiber 9g36%
- Sugars 15 g
- Protein 45g90%
- Sugars15%
- Protein45%
