Ina Garten’s Penne Alla Vodka was one of the first recipes of hers I made years and years ago, and after all this time, it still stands as a family favorite.
I cook most nights, which means we go through a LOT of recipes in the course of a month. I love trying new things and rarely make the same meal week after week, but this penne always manages to find its way back onto the menu.
It’s also from Foolproof, which remains my all-time favorite Ina Garten cookbook. If you’re new to Ina and wondering which cookbook to start with, that’s the one I’d recommend. My copy is well-loved for good reason.
Ina’s recipe isn’t difficult, but it does require a little time. The sauce starts with onions, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes before adding vodka and tomatoes. It then spends an hour and a half in the oven before being pureed and finished with heavy cream, Parmesan and fresh oregano. The result is rich, creamy, a little spicy and absolutely delicious.
Ina Garten’s Penne Alla Vodka recipe | Foolproof Cookbook
And Then We Ate at Carbone
Fast forward to our recent trip to New York, when we had dinner at Carbone and ordered their famous spicy vodka pasta.
Y’all. Divine.
It was served family style, which seemed like a lovely idea until we were practically fighting over the scraps left in the bowl. I could have happily eaten the entire thing myself.
The following week, Sister discovered that the Whole Foods near her in Union Square sold Carbone’s jarred vodka sauce. Well, if Honey didn’t then come home and report that he’d found the giant jars at our Costco in Atlanta. I will admit I was skeptical.
There are some restaurant foods I simply don’t expect to translate particularly well into a jar from Costco, and after making Ina’s version from scratch for years, I wasn’t exactly expecting this to replace it. So the jars sat in our pantry for a month or so.
The Easiest Monday Night Supper
Then came this Monday. It had been a long day, we were still easing our way back into the school-year schedule and I was desperate for something easy to put on the table. I had penne, the jarred sauce aaaaand heavy cream. Dinner was practically done.
And imagine my surprise and delight when we sat down for dinner and all agreed… It was every bit as good as Ina’s. Ina’s version has a little more kick from the red pepper flakes, so I would absolutely add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper to the Carbone sauce if you like a little heat. Otherwise, though, this was shockingly good for the amount of effort involved.
I’m not food photographer and I certainly have no idea how to make a plate of pasta look appetizing. Just call this “proof of life” that I made the dish. HA!
Will I stop making Ina’s Penne Alla Vodka? Absolutely not. It’s been a family favorite for years, and there is something to be said for a pot of homemade sauce simmering away for Sunday supper.
But on a Monday night when I’ve worked all day, everyone is hungry and I need dinner on the table without dirtying half the kitchen?
Ina, meet Carbone. I think we have room in the pantry for both.
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