Pasta with Creamy Tomato and Gin Sauce

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A twist on the classic pasta with vodka sauce recipe, using aromatic gin and rosemary.

Ah, penne alla vodka.

The classic dish is an iconic throwback to the Eighties, along with MTV and permed hair.

At its best, the sauce is a perfect balance of tangy tomato, sweet cream and pasta. In other words, the ultimate recipe for comfort food.

And I’m guessing we can all use an order of that right about now.

But does vodka sauce really need vodka?

Somewhere along the line I switched vodka for gin as my house spirit.

It could have been the grapefruit-scented Italian greyhounds I was drinking a while back, which led to a serious negroni habit (ongoing, btw)!

I thought gin would be a worthy stand-in in this classic sauce.

Like vodka, gin has a neutral clarity, but its herbal and botanical notes add a flavor and complexity that vodka simply can’t match.

A little bit of chopped fresh rosemary in the finished sauce reminds me of gin’s piney juniper scent.

I’ll be spending more time in the kitchen over the coming months, cooking and revisiting favorite recipes. It’s just the nudge I need to be right here in this space. I hope you’ll be there, too!

More craveable pasta recipes:

• Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom Ragu
• Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
• Pumpkin Pasta in Parmesan Garlic Cream Sauce

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Pasta with Creamy Tomato and Gin Sauce

Karen Tedesco

Pasta alla vodka sauce, only made with gin! All the creamy comfort you want in one bowl.

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4.5 from 14 votes

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (350 g) dried pasta, your favorite shape
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
• ½ cup (125 ml) gin or vodka
• 1 ¼ cups (300 g) crushed canned tomatoes
• 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon or to taste crushed red chili pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt
• ¼ cup (25 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving

Instructions 

• Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil along with 3 tablespoons salt. Cook the pasta until al dente.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a wide pan large enough to hold the pasta. Add the shallot or onion and cook 1 minute, or until softened.  Pour in the gin and gently simmer 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, cream, red pepper, rosemary and ½ teaspoon salt. Gently simmer for 10 minutes.
• When the pasta is done, drain it and add to the pan. Reduce heat to low, add the cheese and stir until pasta is coated with the sauce. Serve with additional cheese on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 654kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1258IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe? Mention @Familystylefood or tag #familystylefood on Instagram!!

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about making cooking fun and doable, with easy to follow tested recipes and incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.