Operation Food Search

Pasta Alla No Vodka

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Pasta Alla No Vodka

Everyone is feeling the impact of rising food prices, but affordable and nutritious recipes, like this one for Pasta Alla No Vodka, can offer some relief for individuals and families looking to save without sacrificing taste or nutrition.

Meet Chef Jason Goldman

As the Culinary Nutrition Education Manager at Operation Food Search (OFS), Jason develops recipes that are time-friendly, budget-friendly, and delicious. With every dish in the OFS Teaching Kitchen, Chef Jason looks for ways to use accessible shelf-stable ingredients while maximizing nutritional benefits.

Pasta is a comfort food for so many, and the variations on the cuts, preparations, and sauces are endless. Everyone has their favorite recipes, and one of Jason’s favorites from the OFS Teaching Kitchen is Pasta Alla No Vodka. This tasty pasta dish comes together in as little as 15 minutes and costs under $3.50 per person.

What Is Pasta Alla Vodka?

Pasta Alla Vodka is a quick pasta dish consisting of a mildly spicy (optional) tomato sauce with cream and a small amount of vodka. The combination of tomato and cream delivers a blend of sweet, bright, acidic tomatoes accented by a velvety texture from the cream. Chef Jason’s version of this popular pasta dish does not use vodka, replaces the cream with a shelf-stable alternative, and has an inexpensive addition to boost the protein and fiber.

This is Pasta Alla No Vodka.

No vodka needed. As the name suggests, the Pasta Alla Vodka sauce traditionally contains vodka. Vodka acts as a flavor enhancer in the dish, making things like tomatoes taste more tomatoey. In this recipe, Jason replaced the vodka with an alcohol-free mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. The vinegar helps add the bite and brightness vodka would otherwise provide.

No fresh cream needed. As a cream sauce, naturally, we need heavy/whipping cream. Although fresh cream is available in most grocery stores, it can be expensive and requires refrigeration. Evaporated milk is an excellent substitute for fresh cream.

What is evaporated milk? Evaporated milk is fresh milk with about 60% of its water removed, resulting in a thicker, creamier, and more concentrated liquid. It contains no added sugar, is shelf-stable, and maintains all the nutrients present before the evaporation process.

Bonus: Evaporated milk is often resistant to curdling and separation. If you have ever made a cream sauce with fresh cream and your sauce turned into a cottage cheese-like texture, this is for you. It is not only shelf-stable, but also pan-stable!

Making it a complete meal. Cannellini beans are one of Chef Jason’s personal favorites as a pasta add-in. Cannellini beans have a creamy texture, pair well with other flavors, are inexpensive, and are shelf-stable. Their bonus protein and fiber transform this meal, making it even more filling and nutritious.

Pasta Alla No Vodka is a very flexible dish. Do not hesitate to make this your own based on your individual tastes.

Pro Tips from Chef Jason

  • Substitute basil with spinach. Pound for pound, basil is the most expensive ingredient in the dish, but you do not need it to make this dish delicious. You can omit it altogether or use fresh baby spinach, which is loaded with nutrients at lower costs.
  • My pasta of choice with this version is rigatoni or any tube-shaped pasta. This allows the cannellini beans to get stuck inside the pasta. This is a good thing.
  • If you do not have shallots or onions, garlic alone will be great.
  • Italian sausage, chicken, shrimp, and ground beef are examples of proteins that can be added, either in place of or in addition to the cannellini beans.

The possibilities are endless, so experiment with different ingredients and make it your own. Remember: if it tastes good, you did it right!

Pasta Alla No Vodka Recipe

Servings: 3-4
Hands-on time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot (can replace with 1/2 white onion), minced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c tomato paste
  • 2 Tbs water
  • 2 Tbs white vinegar
  • crushed red pepper to taste
  • 1 c evaporated milk
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 12 oz fusilli pasta or tube pasta
  • 2-4 oz pasta water
  • 4 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 c grated parmesan
  • Salt as needed
  • Fresh basil – optional

Cooking Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the packaging, saving the cooking water when complete.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan and sauté the shallots and garlic gently, just until they are lightly toasted in color.
  3. Add the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes. The paste will begin to turn a rusty color.
  4. Mix the vinegar with 2 Tbs of water and add to the pan, loosening up any bits stuck to the bottom.
  5. Add the evaporated milk, beans, and crushed red pepper and simmer gently for a few minutes.
  6. Add the pasta, some of the pasta water, and butter to the sauce. Stir gently until the butter melts. Add more pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency as needed.
  7. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan a little at a time.
  8. Adjust seasoning to taste by adding salt and crushed red pepper.
  9. Serve and enjoy!
Watch the cooking video from the OFS Teaching Kitchen below to learn how to make Pasta Alla No Vodka!

Click here to watch Chef Jason prepare Pasta Alla No Vodka live with KMOV St. Louis on the KMOV YouTube channel.

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