Mini penne pasta tossed in a creamy mushroom vodka tomato sauce. This mushroom pasta alla vodka is so delicious and great for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
1 pound pasta
½ cup reserved pasta water
1 tablespoon olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 small king oyster mushroom, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1½ cup maitake mushrooms
1 - 15 ounce can tomato puree
1 - 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Optional
Extra shredded parmesan for topping
Finely chopped parsley for topping
Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot for a few minutes until almost al dente.Reserve about a ½ cup of pasta water to incorporate in the sauce later. Drain the rest of the water. Quickly rinse the pasta under cold water to prevent the pasta from continuing to cook and from sticking to each other. Set aside for now.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil for about a minute before adding minced garlic. Cook the garlic until golden and aromatic before adding diced onions. Cook the onions for about 2-3 minutes until softened.
Add all the mushrooms to the skillet, and cook for several minutes until tender. Pour in the tomato puree and diced tomatoes. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients. Next, pour in the vodka and stir to incorporate the vodka. Add granulated sugar, crushed red peppers, and salt. Cook for about a minute.
Pour the heavy cream into the sauce, and stir. The sauce will turn a creamy orange color instead of a bright red. Add the pasta, and mix until all the pasta is evenly coated. Pour in the reserved pasta water and add parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce. Mix until the pasta is well coated with the sauce.
Serve the mushroom pasta alla vodka topped with finely chopped parsley and shredded parmesan cheese as desired.
Recipe by Cooking with a Wallflower at https://cookingwithawallflower.com/2018/04/19/mushroom-pasta-alla-vodka/