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Vodka Sauce Carbonara

This combines the best of carbonara with vodka sauce - you get the creamy egg base with pancetta plus that slightly sweet tomato flavor. It's richer than regular carbonara but not as heavy as straight vodka sauce.
prep time:15 minutes
cook time:35 minutes
total time:50 minutes
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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.

Notes

Temper eggs carefully to prevent scrambling. Sauce should coat pasta without being soupy.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you liked it below!