By Lizzie Moss
I am leaving tomato stains on my linen tablecloths at a rate my Sard laundry stick truly cannot keep up with. This dish is a major culprit. You’ve probably heard of vodka pasta. It became a viral sensation a few years back. You may have made it once at home and it was good but let’s face it, not as good as the $36 dollars you paid for half a serve at a restaurant in what I can only imagine was a bayside suburb. It’s actually very cheap to make, as is all pasta.
It was on regular rotation in my house for a long time and served at many a dinner party but then I learned to cook other dishes (also, I thought we were out of vodka). Anyway with cooler weather I have hit peak laziness and so we’ve gone full 90s mum with a pasta bake. It’s probably twice the work as a usual pasta as it involves cooking everything separately and then cooking it again in the oven but what results is a hearty, warming meal that can be reheated throughout the week, when it’s too cold to spend more than ten minutes away from your warm bed.
I’d recommend eating it with some tasty garlic bread. Homemade is perfect but the frozen kind from the supermarket is really just as good.
Ingredients
- 700g tomato passata
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 60g butter
- 2 tablespoons of red chilli flakes
- 250ml of oat cream (or regular if you have a better tummy)
- 100ml of vodka (the cheap stuff you would have got drunk on aged 18)
- 500g of macaroni
- 100g of bocconcini or fresh mozzarella
- 250g of parmigiano reggiano
- A handful of panko bread crumbs (maybe half a cup)
- In a pan, melt the butter and start to brown the garlic.
Method
- When it’s starting to sizzle, add your chilli flakes but be careful not to burn.
- Add your tomato passata and all the jar with water to clean, adding that tomato water into your pan also.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add a decent pour of vodka, about 100ml.
- Turn the heat up to cook off the alcohol.
- Lower the heat and add oat cream, keep stirring!
- Meanwhile, get your pasta cooking and set the timer for 2–3 minutes before the total cook time.
- Add the parmesan to your tomato sauce and stir until it’s melted and combined.
- Add your al dente macaroni to the tomato sauce with a decent helping of pasta water.
- Mix for a minute or so, then pour the pasta and sauce into an oven dish.
- Rip your fresh mozzarella or bocconcini into small pieces and place on top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle the top with grated parmigiano reggiano and panic.
- Bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes, then grill for another 10 until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble.
