Vodka Sauce with Whipped Ricotta
Flavor packed, classic vodka sauce with a creamy & delicious twist - whipped ricotta
Servings: 5
Equipment
- blender
- dutch oven, large sauce pan or large braiser
Ingredients
- 12oz-1lb penne pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup tomato paste or 1 4.5oz tube
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
- kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta*
- 1 cup pasta water (or less)
- serve with fresh torn basil, a dollop ricotta, & freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Cook the aromatics: In a large skillet, heat 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil until warm. Add ½ cup finely diced yellow oniona pinch of salt. Sauté onion until golden, soft & browning (5-7 minutes), the onion should be quite cooked. Add 3-4 garlic cloves minced garlic & cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build tomato base: Add the ½ cup tomato paste and cook. Stir often, for 3 to 5 minutes until it deepens in color and becomes a little caramelized. Pan will seem a little dry and there may be bits starting to stick to the pan, that is okay.
- Deglaze with vodka: Pour in ⅓ cup vodka, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it cook until vodka evaporates & stir together. Add 14 oz crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese & pinch salt. Stir to combine & simmer 10 minutes or so. It will be thicker. The vodka smell & taste will cooked out by now. If it is tasting too acidic, it may be your canned tomatoes. Add a pinch of sugar. While sauce is simmering & pasta is cooking, whip ricotta.
- Whip Ricotta: In blender or food processor, add 1 cup whole milk ricotta* with pinch salt & black pepper. Blend on high until whipped, smooth & creamy. Add sauce contents to blender with ricotta in it & blend on high 30 seconds to one minute.
- Finish the sauce: Lower the heat and stir in the whipped ricotta. You can use blender or immersion blender here to make it completely smooth. Add pasta water starting with ¼ cup*, a little at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Adjust salt or add pinch of sugar or red pepper for heat. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Finish with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese and a dollop more ricotta.
Notes
Pasta Water: The choice in ricotta cheese will decide how much pasta water you need to create a gorgeous, glossy sauce. With a thicker, creamier ricotta you may need more pasta water (up to a cup). With a thinner, wetter ricotta you may only need a few tablespoons or ¼ cup.
Storage & Make ahead:
To make ahead: I make this sauce & do not add pasta water. Freeze before adding pasta water so that you can finish the sauce when reheating. Can be frozen up to 2 months.
Store leftover vodka sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ricotta-based sauces can tighten up in the fridge. A splash of liquid when reheating or small tab of butter fixes everything.
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 834IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg