Cavatelli alla vodka

Continuing with my passion for making fresh pasta at home (you can follow along for some pasta appreciation here) I dipped my toes back into the waters of hand rolled pasta with a batch of cavatelli rigati or cavatelli with ridges. You could also call these little grub-like pasta gnocchetti sardi or malloreddus, which I’m sure some pasta purists/Sardinians might argue is the correct name for these for whatever reason (DM me for a rant). Ultimately as far as fresh and hand rolled pasta goes, these are incredible easy to make and catch sauce beautifully in their ridges, so their name doesn’t really make a difference to me.

OK so let’s talk sauce. Alla vodka is traditionally a combination of crushed tomatoes, onions, cream and of course its namesake, vodka. The origins of this ridiculously moreish sauce are disputed (like most great things), but I like to think this was conjured up in the kitchen of Dante in Bologna during the 1980s, which is what Pasquale Bruno Jr., author of The Ultimate Pasta Cookbook reckons. Typically the pasta of choice is penne, but I think anything with ridges - or rigate - work just as well, which is why this cavatelli makes for a perfect pairing.

After first trying this dish in the Swiss-Italian region of Ticino back in ~2010, over the years I’ve tried a number of recipes to recreate the magic at home, always following the more traditional method of using crushed tomatoes and cooking them down over time. Totally delicious, but never making the cut to become a return favourite.

Enter tomato paste.

Now I’m not really one to follow celebrities, and I really never thought I’d be looking to Gigi Hadid for a recipe. But! she did happen to popularise alla vodka by posting about it on Instagram, and it introduced me to subbing crushed tomatoes with tomato paste. Using tomato paste results in a super silky sauce with a beautifully concentrated tomato flavour, and as an added bonus it can be made in less than 10 minutes. (Side note: credit where credit’s due; I’ve got to give my mate Becky some kudos for getting me onto this recipe after she cooked this for dinner one night (thank you)).

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Cavatelli alla vodka

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH

• 350g durum wheat semolina flour

• 175g luke warm water

FOR THE SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 hot red chilli slit in the middle, or 1-2 tsp dry chilli flakes (optional)

• 80g tomato paste

• 50ml vodka

• 120-140ml double cream (add the lesser amount and a touch more if you feel you want it slightly creamier)

• 25g butter

• A couple of handfuls of grated parmesan

• Handful of basil

Fresh basil to serve

METHOD

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH

1. Add the semolina flour to a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the water into the well.

2. Using a fork, start to incorporate the flour into the water little by little, whisking until the liquid resembles pancake batter (note - the majority of flour should still remain around the sides of the bowl).

3. Using your hands, start by scooping flour from one side of the bowl, and folding it over the liquid/pancake mix. Use your fingers to press the flour into the liquid until incorporated. Rotate the bowl 45 degrees and repeat. Keep doing this until all of the flour is incorporated and you’ve got a somewhat shaggy dough.

4. At this point transfer to your work surface and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until you have a smooth and shiny dough that doesn’t stick. If it’s too wet, add a touch of flour.

5. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.

SHAPING THE CAVATELLI

1. Cut off 1/8 of the rested dough (make sure to keep the rest covered in clingfilm while you work), and roll it into a sausage about 1/4” thick

2. Cut the sausage into thumbnail sized pieces, and roll each into a little ball using the palm of your hands

3. Using a gnocchi board (or a fork if you don’t have one), place one ball at a time at the side closest to you, and using your thumb press into the ball and away from you, rolling the ball as you do so. Repeat with remaining balls and dough following the same process.

4. Place the cavatelli on a lightly floured board or plate and cover with a clean, dry tea towel until you’re ready to use.

FOR THE SAUCE

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the cavatelli for around 6-8 minutes depending on their size. Semolina/water pasta tends to have a chewier, denser consistency.

2. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan then add the chopped shallot, cooking for a few min before adding the garlic and chilli.

3. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or so until it takes on a deeper colour.

4. Add the vodka and let the alcohol cook out (this should only really take a minute), then stir through the cream. Season to taste with salt.

5. Just before the pasta is ready, add the butter and parmigiano to the sauce. Add a ladle of the pasta water and stir to emulsify. Finally add the basil leaves.

6. Using a slotted spoon, add the pasta (along with some of the pasta water) directly to the sauce, and toss/agitate to marry.

7. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh basil and extra parmigiano.