Ricotta Pasta Alla Vodka
In a 1974 cookbook, Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi introduced **pasta all’infuriata** ("furious pasta"), one of the first pasta recipes to add vodka with chile-spiked tomato sauce. The vodka helps create a glossy, creamy emulsion by evenly dispersing fat and enhancing the sauce's flavors.The dish is served with ricotta, inspired by a creamy tomato soup from the now-closed Caffe Falai in Manhattan’s NoLIta neighborhood. The sweet, cool ricotta balances the spicy, boozy sauce by providing both temperature and flavor relief.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon 6 ounces, coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons red-pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 large garlic cloves crushed but left whole
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste preferably double-concentrated
- ¾ to 1 cup vodka depending on how boozy you want it
- 1 pound fusilli penne or rigatoni
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan finely grated (1 cup)
- 1 cup/8 ounces whole-milk ricotta
- Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large, high-sided skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy around the edges, about 5 minutes. Carefully drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat, reserving the excess for later use.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the onion, generously season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. If the pan becomes dry, add more reserved bacon fat. Stir in the tomato paste, cooking for about 3 minutes until it deepens in color. Turn off the heat and stir in the vodka.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until 2 minutes shy of al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, turn the heat under the sauce to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the vodka reduces by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
- Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce, along with 1 cup of pasta water and most of the pecorino. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring vigorously, for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce clings glossily to the noodles. Add more pasta water if the sauce appears dry. Remove the garlic cloves. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkling with the remaining pecorino. Add three spoonfuls of ricotta to each serving and garnish with fresh parsley to balance the richness.