In my time as a university student I’ve done an awful lot of cooking with alcohol. Some of the alcohol even made its way into the food. This tomato vodka pasta is a simple, speedy recipe, and if you make it once I promise you will be craving it again soon. It’s excellent food for a hangover, and this recipe makes enough for two servings so you can share it with a friend or pack some up and take it with you to the library for some great-tasting brain food. You won’t get intoxicated from eating this recipe because the alcohol evaporates as it cooks, but it leaves the tomatoes tasting splendid.
Ingredients
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
20g butter
200ml vodka
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp of dried rosemary
100 ml double cream
125g pasta
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil and grated parmesan to serve
1. Melt the butter in a pan with the olive oil, and then add the onion and garlic. Fry gently until the onions begin to colour slightly.
2. Put your pasta on to boil. The rest of the recipe should take about the same amount of time as your pasta, so everything should be ready at the same time.
3. Add the vodka to the onions. Leave to simmer for a minute then add the tomatoes. Crumble in the stock cube, add the rosemary and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir the sauce regularly as it cooks over a medium heat. It should begin to thicken.
6. When your pasta is nearly cooked, add the cream to the sauce and stir in.
7. Season with salt and pepper and add the fresh chopped basil.
8. Serve the pasta smothered in sauce with extra basil to garnish, and as much parmesan as you fancy.
Article and Photography: Zosia Edwards