The literal translation is Penne alla Old Tavern. It sound very old world, and the dish tastes old world, but this recipe is from the 20th century and we commonly know it as Penne alla Vodka. The origins of Penne alla Vodka is unclear as many claim to have invented this dish. Claims range from a restaurant in Bologna, Italy to other chefs, actors and even a grad student from Columbia University. Regardless who invented this dish, it’s a beloved simple and rustic dish that showcase few ingredients. I would like to think I could eat this at some old tavern in my travels through Italy.
This recipe originated in Florence, Italy at one of chef Joe Realmuto’s favorite restaurants. He brought it home to his popular Hampton’s restaurant, Nick & Toni’s, and shared it on Food Network and with Ina Garten. She included the recipe in her cookbook Foolproof. So as you see, this recipe has traveled quite a bit and made its way from Florence to our kitchens! Below is my version with a few changes.
As I started out to make this dish, I realized I didn’t have penne pasta (oops!) so I used ziti pasta instead. It worked perfectly. This recipe doesn’t have a lot of ingredients so quality ingredients make a huge difference.
Note: San Marzano tomatoes are from Italy and their flavor is unlike any other tomato. If you’ve never tried them, I recommend them. I buy them as often as I can when in stock. You can see two different brands in the picture below.
You’ll need an ovenproof sauté pan or Dutch oven since the tomatoes will cook for some time in the oven. I used a Dutch oven because I wanted a pot with high sides – you’ll understand why as you keep reading. Position the oven rack just lower of center so the Dutch oven can fit with the lid on and preheat to 375°F. Heat a 1/4 cup of good olive oil in the pot over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until translucent. Stir often so the garlic doesn’t burn, about 5 minutes. Add the dry oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Sauté for an additional minute or two.
Add a cup of unflavored vodka and simmer uncovered until reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes. With clean hands, scoop out a whole tomato at a time and crush it into the pot. Add the juice of one can and discard the remaining juice or save it for another recipe. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, cover with foil and place the lid on the Dutch oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Note: I highly recommend a layer of foil between the sauce and the lid for easy clean-up, but it’s not necessary.
Transfer the Dutch oven from the oven to the stove top. Using a handheld immersion blender, gently pulse a few times around the pot to puree the tomatoes.
Note: Ina recommends transferring the tomatoes in batches to a blender, but I thought that would be messy and increase my changes of getting burned. I took my time with the immersion blender and in a few minutes, the tomatoes were completely blended without splatter or burn incident and only one extra tool to clean up. Win, win! Because I selected a Dutch oven, I was able to take advantage of the tall sides when blending the sauce. Should you select a sauté pan for the sauce, an immersion blender might not be the best way to blend the sauce smooth. Use your judgement and keep in mind the sauce it extremely hot.
Just before setting the Dutch oven on the stove, set a large pot of water to a boil with salt and a little oil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. The pasta should be ready by the time the sauce is ready.
Let’s continue with the sauce. Add fresh oregano, heavy cream and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. I must say the aroma throughout the house was incredible and everyone was anticipating dinner.
Drain the pasta well and add to the vodka sauce along with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese, fresh oregano and red pepper flakes. Don’t forget a simple salad, crusty bread and a glass of wine for a complete meal!
Penne alla Vecchia Bettola
Spectacular and famed penne alla vodka from Nick & Toni's in East Hampton as shared by Ina Garten in Foolproof. This recipe originated from a beloved restaurant in Florence Italy. The old world charm comes through with every bite with deeply rich tomato flavor!
Ingredients
Vodka Sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil preferred first cold press
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1½ teaspoons dry oregano
- 1 cup unflavored vodka
- 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes prefer San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Pasta
- 1 pound penne pasta substitute with ziti, rigatoni or other short pasta
- enough water to fill a pot and cook the pasta
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- olive oil
Instructions
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Position the oven rack so the Dutch oven can easily fit with the lid and preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Heat a ¼ cup of good olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until translucent, stirring often so the garlic doesn't burn, about 5 minutes.
-
Add the dry oregano and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Sauté for an additional minute or two before adding a cup of unflavored vodka. Simmer uncovered until reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes.
-
With clean hands, scoop out a whole tomato at a time and crush it into the pot. Add the juice of one can (discard the remaining juice) along with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cover with foil, secure with the lid and bake for 1½ hours.
Note: I highly recommend a layer of foil between the sauce and the lid for easy clean-up, but it's not necessary.
-
Just before removing the tomatoes from the oven, set a large pot of water to a boil with 2 Tablespoons salt and a little oil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. The pasta should be ready by the time the sauce is ready.
-
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer to the stove top. Discard the foil. Using a handheld immersion blender, gently pulse a few times around the pot to puree the tomatoes. Add a cup of heavy cream and 2 Tablespoons of freshly chopped oregano, stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
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Drain the pasta well and add to the vodka sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese, fresh oregano and red pepper flakes.
Recipe Notes
Note:
Ina recommends transferring the tomatoes in batches to a blender, but I thought an immersion blender would work better. Take your time and use small pulses to minimize spatter. The tall sides of the Dutch oven will be an advantage when using the immersion blender. Should you select a sauté pan for the sauce, an immersion blender might not be the best way to blend the sauce smooth. Use your judgement and take precaution when working with an extremely hot sauce.
Adapted from Nick & Toni’s recipe as shared by Ina Garten in Foolproof and Joe Realmuto on Food Network.
