Pennette vodka and salmon

Pennette with vodka and salmon is a creamy and flavorful dish, a delicious and slightly more sophisticated variant of the classic pasta sauce. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 320 g of pennette
• 150 g of smoked salmon
• 1 shallot
• 80 ml of vodka
• 200 ml of cooking cream
• 400 g of tomato purée
• Extra virgin olive oil q.b.
• Salt q.b.
• Pepper q.b.
• Fresh parsley q.b. (optional, for garnish)

Preparation

1. Start heating a pot with salted water for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot and cut the smoked salmon into strips or cubes, depending on your preference.
3. In a large pan, sauté the chopped shallot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, without letting it color too much.
4. Add the smoked salmon to the pan and let it flavor for about a minute.
5. Deglaze with the vodka and let the alcohol evaporate on high heat.
6. Pour in the tomato purée, stir and let it cook for about 10 minutes on low heat.
7. In the meantime, cook the pennette in boiling salted water following the package instructions to have them al dente.
8. Add the cream to the salmon sauce, mix well, and let it thicken slightly, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
9. Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Stir well to flavor the pennette.
10. If you like, before serving, decorate with chopped fresh parsley to add a touch of color and freshness to the dish.

This recipe is easily customizable: if you prefer a more Italian touch, you could add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese when serving. Moreover, for a lighter version, you could choose light cooking cream or replace it with evaporated milk. Enjoy your meal!

Curiosity

Pasta with vodka is a dish that became quite popular in the 1980s, and its distinguishing element is the use of vodka, which serves to enhance the flavors of the tomato and salmon, but also to make the sauce creamier and more homogeneous.