Penne alla vodka (Italian: [ˈpenne alla ˈvɔdka]) is a pasta dish of penne in a tomato and cream sauce with vodka, and usually hot pepper flakes, garlic, and pancetta. The vodka emulsifies the sauce and enhances flavor. It is usually topped with grated Parmesan or Pecorino romano cheese and black pepper.
 Penne alla vodka with grated cheese | |
| Alternative names | Penne vodka, pasta with vodka sauce, Moscow penne |
|---|---|
| Course | |
| Place of origin | |
| Created by | Debated |
| Invented | 1970s |
| Cooking time | 8 minutes to 10 minutes |
| Main ingredients | Penne, cream, tomatoes, vodka, hot pepper flakes, pancetta |
The dish became popular in Italy and in the United States around the 1980s, as a late-night dish following evenings at the disco.[1] It remains popular in Italian-American cuisine.[2]
Origins
edit
The exact origins of penne alla vodka are unclear and, to some extent, the subject of urban legend and folklore. The first attested recipe is in 1974, in the cookbook L'Abbuffone by the Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi; he called it pasta all'infuriata 'pasta, enraged style', described as a sort of pasta all'arrabbiata, made with penne, fresh peeled tomatoes, a shot of vodka, chili pepper, oil, garlic, and bay leaves. Tognazzi suggested also that, if using a Polish vodka with chili ("formidable, tremendous, very strong, very hot, deadly"), the fresh chili pepper can be omitted.[3]
There have been multiple, often conflicting, claims to the invention and history of the dish; one author claims that it was invented at Dante, a restaurant in Bologna.[4] One cookbook claims that it was invented in the 1980s by a Roman chef for a vodka company that wanted to popularize its product in Italy.[5] The dish may have been common in Italy before becoming popular in America in the early 1980s.[6] Luigi Franzese of Orsini's Restaurant in New York City claims to have improvised the dish in the 1970s when using vodka to reduce a tomato sauce, calling it Penne à la Russia.[7] A 1979 Italian novel mentions a "sugo alla russa" which includes a glass of vodka.[8]
On October 25, 2016, the Italian Association of Confectionery and Pasta Industries named it the symbolic dish of the 18th World Pasta Day organized in Moscow, as a symbol of friendship between Italy and Russia.[9] Barilla later found penne alla vodka was the second most sought-after dish of pasta in search engines, behind only pasta alla bolognese.[10]
Composition
editThe ethanol of the vodka enhances and balances the flavors of the tomato and cream.[11] Half or more of the vodka evaporates during cooking.[11]
Similar tomato and cream sauces without vodka are sometimes known as parma rosa or rosatella.[12][13]
In the U.S., bacon or guanciale are often substituted for pancetta.[14]
In media
editThe 2022 short documentary film Disco Sauce: The True Story of Penne Alla Vodka, directed by Roberto Serrini, examines the history, composition and variations of penne alla vodka. It features the chefs Pasquale Cozzolino, Gaetano Arnone, Jae Lee, JJ Johnson, and Jeremy Spector, and the molecular gastronomist Hervé This. Its director called it "insatiably irreverent" and a reviewer characterized it as "gonzo style".[15][16][17] It has received multiple awards.[18][19][20]
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ Cinzia Alfè (13 October 2017). "Riabilitiamo le penne alla vodka dall'ingiusta condizione di discredito". Dissapore.
- ↑ Long, Lucy (17 July 2015). Ethnic American Food Today: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 321. ISBN 9781442227316.
- ↑ Tognazzi, Ugo (1974). L'Abbuffone (in Italian). Milan: Rizzoli Editore. p. 105. ISBN 9788817136143.
- ↑ The ultimate pasta cookbook by Pasquale Bruno New York : Contemporary Books, 1997. ISBN 978-0-8092-3169-0.
- ↑ Essentials of Italian. Steve Seigelman. Williams Sonoma books, 2008.
- ↑ Food for Friends by Barbara Kafka: Harper & Row, 1984.
- ↑ Franzese, Paula A. (Paula Ann) (2014). A short & happy guide to being a law student : a daily companion for law school, practice and life. St. Paul, MN : West Academic Publishing. ISBN 978-0-314-29107-3.
- ↑ Parazzoli, Ferruccio (1979). Carolina dei miracoli : romanzo (in Italian). Milan. p. 37. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ Svetlana Borisova (25 October 2016). "Il ritorno delle penne alla Vodka". Russia Beyond.
- ↑ "Penne alla vodka, 2ª ricetta più "cliccata" negli Usa | MixerPlanet". www.mixerplanet.com (in Italian). 25 October 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- 1 2 "Does Vodka Sauce Really Need Vodka?". Serious Eats. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ↑ "Parma Rosa Sauce Recipe". MyRecipes. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ↑ "I Tried the Brand-New Trader Joe's Jarred Pasta Sauce, and It's as "Amazing" as Everyone Says". The Kitchn. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ↑ "Penne alla Vodka with Bacon". Rachael Ray. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Disco Sauce: The Unbelievable True Story of Penne Alla Vodka". Italia in Bocca., official film site
- ↑ "Disco Sauce: The True Story of Penne alla Vodka". IMDb. 2023.
- ↑ "Disco Sauce: The True Story of Penne alla Vodka and Italy in Bocca". John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ "14th Annual TASTE Awards Nominees, Finalists and Honorees". The TASTE AWARDS. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ "Disco Sauce: The Untold True Story of America's Favorite Pasta". MarCom Awards. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ "Disco Sauce: The Untold True Story of America's Favorite Pasta". Viddy Awards. Retrieved 27 May 2026.