Spicy Vodka Pasta Bake
This recipe is a hardcore 10/10- can’t stop eating- amazing comfort food! I used Carbone’s spicy vodka sauce recipe and then turned it into a bake with a ton of mozzarella (fresh and shredded) and some sweet Italian sausage for protein. It’s honestly the best thing ever- and if you’re feeding this to a family/kids, you can reduce or omit the Calabrian chili pepper paste. Enjoy!
Spicy Vodka Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients:
Servings- 6-8
1 lb rigatoni pasta (or whatever pasta you’re into)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup Calabrian Chili Pepper Paste- you can use less if you’re looking to reduce the heat
12 ounces of tomato paste
1 cup vodka
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup pasta water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3-5 tablespoons butter- I use salted, you can use unsalted if you want to control saltiness
2/3 lb fresh mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Salt & Pepper to taste- I probably used about 2ish teaspoons of coarse sea salt
Olive oil
Instructions:
Step one
Boil some salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, add your pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
Preheat oven to 450°F
Step two
In a large cast iron pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat and cook sausage while breaking it up into small pieces. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Step three
Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the chili paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 4-5 minutes while stirring often until the color has deepened.
Pour the vodka into the pan and stir, scraping up any of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the alcohol is pretty much burned off. Add heavy cream and mix well.
Add pasta water, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the butter, parmesan, and taste test to see if you need to add anymore salt & pepper.
Add the sausage and stir to combine. Add the rigatoni and stir to combine.
Step 4
Add shredded mozzarella to the top of the pasta, then tear up the fresh mozzarella and evenly distribute on top of the dish. Bake for about 8 minutes and then turn oven to broil and broil for another 2 minutes or until golden and delicious.
