Pasta sauces· V · GF

Vodka Sauce

Name: Vodka Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200g tomato purée; 400g passata; 4 (120g) shallots, finely chopped; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 1g chilli flakes; 80ml vodka; 300ml double cream; 50g parmesan, finely grated; 40g butter; 15ml olive oil; 4g salt

The Italian-American classic: lots of tomato purée fried until brick red, shallot, chilli, a splash of vodka, cream and parmesan.

makes 35 cubes, about 15p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/sauces/vodka-sauce/

Time: 35 min15 min prep · 20 min cook
Makes: 35 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 15p
Calories per cubeCalories: 71 kcal
A serving: 4 cubes
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

cubes

200gtomato purée
400gpassata
4 (120g)shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves (20g)garlic
1gchilli flakes
80mlvodka
300mldouble cream
50gparmesan, finely grated
40gbutter
15mlolive oil
4gsalt

Allergens: Milk. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Use it for

Penne alla vodka for one · 4 cubes; Gnocchi bake with mozzarella · 5 cubes; Sauce for chicken parmigiana · 3 cubes

Method

Step 1: Melt the butter with the oil over a medium heat and soften the shallots for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add the tomato purée and fry, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until it turns from bright red to a deep brick red.
Step 3: Pour in the vodka and bubble for 1 minute, scraping up the bottom, then stir in the passata and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the cream and simmer gently for 3 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the parmesan and salt.
Step 5: Cool, pour into 30ml trays and freeze.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	71	1.1g	2.1g	5.9g	0.4g	0.17g
Per 4 cubes	284	4.4g	8.4g	23.6g	1.6g	0.68g

Cook’s notes

Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm gently, stirring.
Frying the purée until brick red is the step that makes it taste right.
Most of the alcohol cooks off; it sharpens the tomato flavour.

Use it for

Penne alla vodka for one · 4 cubes
Gnocchi bake with mozzarella · 5 cubes
Sauce for chicken parmigiana · 3 cubes

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 3 months.
Use from frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm gently, stirring. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 4 cubes is a serving: about 284 kcal.

Vodka Sauce questions

Is it vegetarian?

Traditional parmesan is made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese to keep the sauce vegetarian.

Can I make it without vodka?

Leave it out and add a splash of water with a squeeze of lemon. The sauce will be a little less sharp, but still rich and creamy.

Can I use single cream?

Double cream is less likely to split when simmered, frozen and reheated. Single cream can work if you keep the heat very gentle, but the sauce will be thinner.