The most amazing pasta! This Pasta Alla Vodka with Bacon is unbelievably creamy and flavorful. This pasta looks “fancy”, but it’s actually one of the easiest and quickest pasta dishes you’ll make.
Cheers to it almost being the weekend! It has been a loonngg week to say the least. Anyway, with Valentine’s Day next week, I have the perfect, easy and DELICIOUS pasta recipe for you guys. This Pasta Alla Vodka with Bacon will have you guys feeling hella fancy at home. Thank me later, LOL. This pasta is creamy, rich, topped with cheesy pools of fresh mozzarella. This is probably one of my favorite pasta recipes. Perfect for date night, but honestly great for any other night as well.
SO, WHAT’S UP WITH THE VODKA? DO I HAVE TO USE IT?
Let me just start off by saying that if you don’t drink or you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can just swap the vodka for chicken or veggie broth and your sauce will still be amazing.
If you’re ok with using alcohol for cooking, then trust me, you’ve got to add the vodka to your sauce. It’s totally worth it, the vodka adds a little something that helps to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce. The key here is to slowly simmer the sauce. By doing this, it will release its flavors and cook out the alcohol like in any other sauce where alcohol is used. So yes, this is safe to serve to kids! My son loves this pasta!
CAN I MAKE THIS PASTA AHEAD OF TIME?
You can certainly prepare the sauce ahead of time, then cook and add the pasta before you’re ready to serve. I just recommend waiting to cook the pasta until you’re ready to add to the sauce because the noodles will expand as they sit.
CAN I USE HALF & HALF OR MILK INSTEAD?
I haven’t tried using milk, so I can’t say for sure. You could get away with using half & half if it’s all you have on hand, the sauce just won’t be as creamy as it would be if you were using heavy cream.
Looking for more Pasta recipes?
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Beef Ragu Pasta
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
Questions about this Pasta Alla Vodka with Bacon? Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below! Tag me #chefelizabethreese on Instagram, I’d love to see your creations!
Pasta Alla Vodka with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bacon, Chopped
- 1 lb Bowtie Noodles
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Basil, Chopped
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion, Chopped
- ¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, as needed
- 2¾ Cups Heavy Cream
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Mini Mozzarella Balls, as needed
- 1 Teaspoon Canola Oil
- ½ Cup Vodka
- 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Dry Basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Once finished, drain the pasta and return to the same pot it cooked in.
- Add the canola oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, garlic powder and dry basil. Mix in tomato paste then pour in the vodka and continue cooking until the vodka has reduced a bit, about 2ish minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream, whisking to combine until the sauce begins to thicken. Season to taste.
- Add in fresh parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Add cooked bowtie noodles and cooked chopped bacon to the pan and mix in the sauce until fully incorporated. Top with fresh mini mozzarella balls, cover. Enjoy!
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