Ingredients
– ½ pound orecchiette or preferred pasta shape
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 1 small red onion, finely diced (can substitute shallot, white, or yellow onion)
– Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
– 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
– ½ cup tomato paste (can use canned or tube; leftover canned can be frozen)
– ¼ cup vodka (can substitute with water or dry white wine)
– 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (adjust quantity to taste)
– 2 cups heavy cream
– ¼ cup reserved pasta water
– 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
– Fresh basil leaves for serving (optional)
Instructions
1-Cook pasta in well-salted water to al dente according to package instructions.
2-Heat butter over medium-low heat in a large, deep sauté pan.
3-Add diced onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
4-Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
5-Stir in tomato paste and cook until it darkens in color, about 5 minutes.
6-Add vodka and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.
7-Add heavy cream and red pepper flakes, cook stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
8-Toss in drained pasta and reserved pasta water, coating thoroughly.
9-Turn off heat, add parmesan cheese and stir well.
10-Serve with extra parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
🍶 Use good quality vodka for best flavor; a little goes a long way.
🌶️ Adjust red pepper flakes to control the level of spiciness.
❄️ Freeze leftover tomato paste in ice cube trays for convenient future use.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing and boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian (can be made vegan with substitutions)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg