Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 5 oz pancetta, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2/3 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb short-cut pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Cook the Pancetta and Aromatics
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and pancetta.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and pancetta is crispy – this takes ~5-6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, ~1-2 minutes more. The pancetta fat should be rendered at this point and coating everything.
Build the Vodka Sauce Base
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp of the salt, and vodka.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened, ~20-25 minutes. You’ll see it reduce and darken slightly.
Slowly stir in the heavy cream. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon but not paste-like.
Cook the Pasta
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
The starchy pasta water is what helps bind everything together, so don’t skip this step.
Prepare the Egg Mixture
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth. Add the Parmesan and whisk to combine.
Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble when you add them to the hot sauce.
Combine Everything
Very slowly add the egg mixture to the tomato sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until fully incorporated – this takes ~2-3 minutes.
The sauce will thicken slightly from the eggs but shouldn’t look curdled. If it starts to look lumpy, pull it off the heat immediately.
Stir pasta into sauce, adding remaining pasta cooking water a little at a time as needed. The final consistency should coat the pasta without being soupy.
Divide between bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan before serving. Top with red pepper flakes and fresh parsley if using.
Vodka Sauce Carbonara
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 5 oz pancetta finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes plus more for serving
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2/3 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb short-cut pasta such as rigatoni or penne
- 5 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and pancetta, cook until crispy, 5-6 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and vodka.
- Simmer sauce 20-25 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Whisk egg yolks, Parmesan, and 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Slowly add egg mixture to sauce, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir pasta into sauce, adding reserved water as needed.
- Serve with extra Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
