I only just recently discovered Calabrian peppers, when I was recreating an egg salad recipe from a deli here in the Twin Cities. Now, I feel like I see them everywhere, including in the aisles of Target. When I saw this Creamy Calabrian Vodka Sauce at Target the other day, I figured I just had to recreate it. I could have purchased it, but it’s a lot of sauce, and also… where’s the fun in that? I’ve said before that I’m not usually a huge tomato pasta sauce person, but I also recently made a homemade tomato sauce that was a major game changer. So why not keep the trend rolling and make a vodka sauce, with a kick!

I made this meal twice, because… when you have the ingredients that’s just what you eat. But I made one with coconut milk and one with half and half. I preferred the one with half and half, but my brother preferred the one with coconut milk. The coconut milk made it taste slightly sweeter, but it wasn’t a massive difference. You can also play around with the amount of the Calabrian peppers you use, depending on how much of a kick you want. You can also do whatever you want in terms of protein. I think the meatballs worked well, but chicken or sausage would also work. I’ve just become pretty reliant on meatballs as being a super easy protein to add to a variety of different meals!

I am not someone who just keeps vodka around the house. Of all the cocktails I would ever think to make (not many), none include vodka. So I wasn’t going to go buy a whole bottle at the store just to use three tablespoons of it. It turns out that the amount you need is exactly the amount in an airline bottle – 50ml! You can also substitute broth or white wine if you are also not a vodka person and don’t want to bother buying any!

This recipe also comes together very quickly, so it’s a very easy meal to just whip up on a weeknight. If you’re someone who appreciates a tomato pasta sauce, and a bit of spice… get cookin!

Calabrian Vodka Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Audrey
Array: Array
Total Time: 0 hours

Ingredients

pasta of your choice
protein of your choice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon crushed Calabrian peppers
⅔ cup tomato paste (one 6 oz can)
3 tbsp (50ml) vodka (or veggie broth, or white wine)
1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half, coconut milk, creme fraiche, marscarpone, etc)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cook your pasta until al dente.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and set both aside.
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot add oil and sauté shallots and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they begin to slightly caramelize and smell good.
Add in the Calabrian peppers and tomato paste and stir together. Continue to stir until paste turns bright red,2 to 3 minutes.
Deglaze skillet with vodka and stir together until vodka evaporates. Add reserved pasta water to skillet and stir together until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir cream into sauce until mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer together, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butter and Parmesan and continue to simmer until sauce is smooth, glossy and has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss together until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with Parmesan and your choice of protein (or, no protein!)

Notes

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon