Bloody Mary Pasta Recipe with Tomato and Vodka

Bloody Mary Pasta (penne alla vodka), served in a white bowl with fresh parsley.

Bloody Mary Pasta Recipe with Tomato and Vodka

Penne alla vodka is a well-known dish, but my version is a little different; it embraces the classic flavours of a Bloody Mary cocktail, complete with Worcestershire sauce and celery salt... it's delicious, simple, and a little bit of fun!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Modern European

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword bloody mary pasta, bloody mary pasta sauce, pasta alla vodka, penne alla vodka

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings Servings

Calories 680kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

200 g Dried Pasta 8oz (I use penne)
1 Small Stick of Celery 35g
1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
250 ml Tomato Passata 1 Cup
75 ml Vodka ⅓ Cup
1½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (or more if you want a big hit of chilli)
¼ teaspoon Lemon Juice
½-¾ teaspoon Celery Salt
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt (for boiling the pasta)

Instructions

Begin by bringing a 20cm (8") saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. I use 1½ teaspoons of salt in a pan this size.
Trim up the celery and cut it into a 3-4mm (⅛") dice.
Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
By now, the water should be boiling. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Mine takes 10-11 minutes, which is what my timings are based on.

Heat the olive oil in a 28cm or 11" pan over a medium heat, and soften the celery and shallots for 2-3 minutes.

You want to retain texture in the celery to give the dish real Bloody Mary vibes.

Add the vodka and reduce by a third to a half.

Do not over-reduce the vodka because the alcohol plays an important part in this dish. See the FAQ section.

Pour in the tomato passata, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, sprinkle over the celery salt and stir to combine. Then simmer until the pasta is cooked.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, stir it through the pasta, adding as much of the pasta water as needed to form a nice silky sauce.
Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Video

Nutrition