Spaghetti alla Vodka with Fresh Mozzarella
Long strands of pasta, laced with a tangy, vodka-spiked sauce, garnished with tiny balls of fresh mozzarella. The sauce is savory and the cheese is buttery-sweet. It’s the perfect pairing on every level.
There’s a reason vodka is added to tomato sauce! Vodka enhances the flavor of tomatoes by pulling out and concentrating their inherent sweetness; plus the alcohol adds a subtle bite of its own, so it’s the perfect contrast for the sweet sauce. If you don’t want to add vodka, simply replace it with a splash of red wine vinegar.
The creamy mozzarella is the perfect partner for this dish. In my opinion, fresh mozzarella trumps the factory-made stuff – by a lot. It’s milky, creamy, smooth, and delivers a freshness you can’t get from mass-produced cheese. That said, if you want to use chunks of regular mozzarella, please do. You could also use dollops of creamy ricotta cheese.
Spaghetti alla Vodka with Fresh Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti, or pasta of choice
- 2 cups tomato sauce, or one 15-ounce can, or pureed or crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup vodka of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls, or fresh mozzarella of choice
- Grated parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for serving
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, vodka, dried basil, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and simmer for 1 minute. Fold in the pasta and toss to combine and heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the spaghetti to individual plates and top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Garnish with basil leaves and serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side.