Spicy Vodka Pasta with Italian Sausage

• Base of the sauce: Use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the shallot and garlic. A red onion or sweet onion would also work if that’s what you have. And I highly recommend buying fresh garlic instead of the jarred or powdered kind, but you do you boo!
• Tomato paste: Gives the vodka sauce its concentrated tomato flavor. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes until it darkens slightly before adding the vodka. I love the kind in the tube instead of the can, so I can easily store whatever I don’t use in the fridge.
• Vodka: Used to deglaze the pan (so you can scrape up all those wonderful bits stuck to the bottom) and add depth to the sauce. If you don’t have vodka, you can use dry white wine or brandy, or swap in chicken broth or vegetable broth for an alcohol-free option.
• Red pepper flakes: These are the main source of heat in this recipe. Start with a small amount of red pepper flakes for a little kick and add more if you like a lot of heat.
• For that creamy consistency: Heavy cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese make the sauce rich and silky. For the best flavor, I use a microplane to finely grate fresh Parmesan from a block. You can also use Pecorino Romano as an alternative.
• Italian sausage: I use mild Italian sausage so the red pepper flakes control the heat. It adds flavor and extra protein, but ground beef or chicken sausage would also work if you don’t eat pork. If you want to keep things vegetarian, this pasta is also delicious without meat.
• Orecchiette: This small, ear-shaped pasta is my favorite because it catches ALL that amazing creamy tomato sauce. But penne pasta, shell pasta, rigatoni, fusilli, or any short pasta shape you like will work.

How to Make this Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe:

Cook the sausage: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage, breaking apart with a spatula until well-browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Boil the orecchiette: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Be sure to reserve one cup of the pasta water during the last minute of cooking before you drain the pasta.

Make the spicy vodka pasta sauce: In the same skillet you cooked the sausage, add the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the minced shallot and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir. Deglaze the pan with vodka, letting it simmer while scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the heavy whipping cream, Parmesan and butter until well-combined.

Add the cooked pasta and sausage to the creamy sauce and pour in the reserved cup pasta water. You can start conservatively with ½ cup and add a little water as needed until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.

Serve into bowls and garnish with Parmesan, cracked pepper and fresh basil. Bon appétit! 😚 🤌

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