Lumaconi alla Vodka is the perfect recipe for entertaining. It's a simple, hearty dish that is guaranteed to please. Get the recipe below.
An old recipe with a modern twist
The origins of this recipe go way back to the 1980s. Lumaconi alla vodka has remained a firm favourite of mine; from university halls to dinner parties in my own home. It's a classic dish that is simple to make.
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What is pasta "alla vodka"?
You might have seen penne alla vodka, spaghetti alla vodka, or some other variation elsewhere on the internet. It's probably clear that "alla vodka" refers to the sauce but you might not know much more about it than that.
"Alla vodka" simply means "with vodka" in Italian and whilst Lumaconi alla vodka is an Italian inspired dish it (and the other variations I've mentioned) actually originates from America in the 1980s!
It's a pasta dish that is usually made with butter, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cream. Oh, and vodka of course! Some people like to add other ingredients such as chilli flakes, peas or even sausage! But for this recipe we are keeping things simple.
Ingredients
To make this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:
- pasta e.g. lumaconi or similar large shell shaped paste
- butter
- onion
- salt
- garlic
- tomato puree
- tomato passata
- cherry tomatoes
- double cream
- vodka
- parmesan
- basil, which is optional
Vodka?!
Yes, you read that right. This tomato and cream based pasta sauce is spiked with vodka. I add the vodka into the pot right at the same time as the pasta, before the pasta has had a chance to be stirred through the tomato and cream. This way you don't lose any of it's boozy bite!
Lumaconi
Lumaconi pasta (sometimes referred to as lumache) is a large pasta shell. When you think of pasta shells you probably think of conchiglie but lumaconi is actually meant to look like snails shells rather than sea shells!! Don't let that put you off...
I love lumaconi because it's a big, hearty pasta shape that is great for stuffing or mopping up sauces. It has these huge bowl like cavities that mean you get a big helping of sauce with every mouthful.
Instructions
Boiling pasta is easy, but so is making the sauce for this recipe.
Simply melt the butter then add the onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are soft and just starting to go brown. Add the minced garlic before adding the tomato puree, passatta and cherry tomatoes. This all gets simmered together before being blitzed into a smooth sauce.
Once the sauce is ready the pasta is added along with a little pasta water.
When the dish is cooked it is served with parmesan and basil leaves.
Equipment
To get a smooth sauce you will need a high speed blender.
Top Tip
Avoid overcooking the pasta. It should be "al dente" meaning it still has some bite to it.
FAQ
If you can't get hold of lumaconi then you can of course use any pasta shape you like. But, I'd recommend something that has a hole in the middle as these have been designed with hearty sauces in mind. Why not try penne, rigatoni or paccheri?
I usually avoid long and thin pastas like spaghetti, tagliatelle and linguine with tomato based sauces but that's just because I'm likely to get myself in a mess!
Yes! Most dried pasta is vegan so you shouldn't need to make any substitutes there.
Butter, double cream and parmesan can all be substituted for a dairy-free alternative. You can even make your own vegan parmesan using my recipe.
Yes, but you will have a chunky rather than smooth sauce.
The recipe
Lumaconi alla vodka
Equipment
- 1 high speed blender
Ingredients
- 300 g pasta e.g. lumaconi
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced finely
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 400 g tomato passata
- 14 cherry tomatoes halved
- 150 ml double cream
- 75 ml vodka
- parmesan optional
- basil optional
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to instructions while you make the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion and salt.
- Sweat the onions for 8-10 minutes until they have softened and are starting to brown.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes before stirring through the tomato puree, passata and cherry tomatoes.
- Bring the sauce up to a simmer before taking off the heat and stirring through the cream.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender and blitz on high until you have a smooth sauce.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan.
- Using a ladel or slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pasta into the sauce (you want to bring a little pasta water over with the pasta so don't worry about being too careful).
- Pour over the vodka before stirring the pasta into the sauce.
- Warm gently until the dish is piping hot.
- Serve with a little parmesan and basil leaves to garnish.
Notes
- For the butter you can either use a non-dairy butter or olive oil.
- For the cream, Oatly and Elmlea both do fantastic cream alternatives. The choice is yours!
Nutrition
Serve with...
Lumaconi alla vodka is a no fuss dish.
A simple green side salad would go well, as would garlic dough balls if you're feeling a little more decadent!
Xinmei @ Pudding Pie Lane says
I love this recipe! I had something like this in Zizzi's once and it was actually really nice! Guess you just have to be careful how much vodka you put in :pp.s. didn't get to say before, but I love the new look of your blog! 🙂
Emmyw says
Glad you like the new look Xinmei! As for the vodka...I definitely recommend a shot rather than a bottle of Vodka 😛 I guess with any recipe it's about balancing the flavours 🙂
Steve says
How do you use the cherry tomatoes in the ingredients list?
Emma says
Hi Steve
Well spotted! I simmer the cherry tomatoes with the passata and tomato puree. They then get blended up into the smooth sauce.
Enjoy!