Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
It is now officially pasta season, so let’s celebrate with Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka! This easy dish incorporates end-of-summer ripe cherry tomatoes and vodka…what could be bad about that?!
The sauce is spicy, creamy and utterly delicious! Make sure you have plenty of basil on hand, as well as Parmesan cheese…these ingredients make this dish.
Begin the sauce by sautéing the shallots until they are soft. Add garlic, oregano, tomatoes and chili flakes and cook for about 8 minutes, until those cute little cherry tomatoes burst and stick a bit to the bottom of the pan. Then take about half of the cherry tomatoes and purée them in a blender and stir back into the skillet.
At this point, stir in the vodka and then the cream. If you’d prefer a vegan dish, substitute coconut milk for the cream. It will taste equally as delish!
While this is cooking, boil up your pasta. Any short pasta will work…I chose rotini. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it, along with butter, Parmesan cheese and basil to the sauce. Toss it all until the butter has melted.
Divide it among plates and top with extra Parmesan cheese and basil.
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Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 1/2 cup vodka
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat. Blend about half the tomatoes in a blender until smooth, stir the tomato sauce back into the skillet.
Place the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the vodka, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.
Add the pasta, butter, parmesan, and basil to the sauce, tossing until the butter has melted.
Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe by Half Baked Harvest
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