The hype around this spicy alla vodka pasta mid-2020 was something we’d never really seen from a recipe before. And after trying it once, we knew it was well-deserved (and just as addicting as other alla-vodka-fanatics had warned)! All of the elements within this recipe perfectly play off of one another. They come together to create the ultimate spicy, creamy, balanced dish that can be served with practically any pasta shape you desire.
As per usual, we make our pasta homemade. Click this link to grab the recipe and see how we make it! We think the homemade pasta really takes the recipe over the top, but regular boxed pasta – whether gluten-free or otherwise – doesn’t detract from the flavor in any way! So, don’t feel like you need to whip up restaurant-grade pasta in order to fully enjoy the dish. Because, no matter what, this spicy alla vodka pasta is addicting, ground-breaking, and an all around crowd-favorite no matter the form it appears in.
If we were to give this one a rating, it would be an easy 10000/10. ENJOY!
Gluten-Free Perfect Pasta Alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons vodka
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
- basil, chiffonade to serve
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound GF pasta
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- In a large shallow pan or Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook until soft (being careful not to burn the garlic). Add the tomato paste, and cook until it appears caramelized. Add the vodka and let it cook off.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add the heavy cream, and stir to incorporate. Add the crushed red peppers. If you like heat, take liberties with this step.
- Over low heat, add the butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmigiano Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, top with a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil.
Gluten-Free Pasta Dough
Equipment
- 1 KitchenAid Stand Mixer & pasta attachments optional, but really helps!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the 2 cups flour on a plate and create a well in the center. Add the eggs and egg yolk into the well. Using a fork break up the eggs and slowly start to mix the flour into the eggs a little at a time. When the mixture forms a rough dough, pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed in rounded, folding motions to bring it together. Cut into 4 pieces and wrap three of them tightly with plastic wrap.
- Dust the the first piece of dough with gluten free flour and flatten slightly with the heel of your hand, making sure the dough is flat and not overly sticky (be generous with the flour). Using the pasta roller attachment on setting 1, feed one end of the pasta into the machine. This will begin to flatten it into a sheet. After each pass through the machine, fold the sheet in half and sprinkle both sides with generous amounts of flour, spreading it evenly across the dough until there aren't any sticky parts. Continue feeding, folding, flouring, and putting it through the roller again until the sheet stretches to the width of the machine. Be patient, the more you fold it and put it through the roller dusted with flour, the smoother it will get! As soon as the pasta reaches the end-to-end width, change the setting of the attachment to 2. Repeat the folding, flouring and feeding process once through. Then do another pass on setting 3 (our preference). For thinner pasta, continue to setting 4. Repeat this step with the other sheets of dough from the ball.
- Once your sheets are all flattened, switch the current attachment on the stand mixer to the attachment that reflects the pasta shape you're looking to create. Feed your sheets through the attachment one by one, and you should have a finalized pasta shape ready to go!
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Note: Fresh pasta cooks extremely quickly, so keep an eye on it!
