Pasta with vodka sauce is a decadent, crave-able classic with a subtle spicy kick. For this version, we added mussels, which give the sauce a delicious briny touch that pairs really well with the creamy tomato flavors.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 10 ounces spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vodka. Add the mussels, cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Remove from the heat; keep the pot covered.
- Meanwhile, after adding the cream to the tomato sauce, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain. Add the spaghetti to the pot with the mussels, along with 1/4 cup cooking water. Cook over medium heat, tossing and adding more cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, if the sauce seems too thick, until the spaghetti is well coated. Season with salt.
- Divide the spaghetti and mussels among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the parsley and more red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 680 |
| Total Fat | 29 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 12 grams |
| Cholesterol | 91 milligrams |
| Sodium | 987 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 74 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 grams |
| Protein | 31 grams |
| Sugar | 8 grams |
Reviews
This was a tasty recipe. I had some frozen mussel meat so o just used that instead of the whole mussels in the shell thing. Tasty.