Vodka Sauce

[Johnny West]

I've got a mess of shrimp and am looking for a tried and true vodka sauce to match up. What wine would you suggest pin grigio or a Tuscan red?

[Mama Mangia]

Shrimp Linguini with Vodka Cream Sauce.

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 pound shrimp, fresh or frozen, thawed, peeled, deveined, tail off (35-40 shrimp)
pasta for four (linguini, spaghetti, penne, fettuccini, or other)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 eight ounce can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons dried parsley, or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
grated Parmesan cheese, fresh, if possible


To cook the shrimp, bring some water to a boil, add the Old Bay Seasoning, and cook the shrimp until they turn pink. This will only take a few minutes, so don't go running errands or talk on the phone. When they are pink, take the pot off the heat, drain off the water, and let them sit in the pot to keep warm. Some of the seasoning will cling to the shrimp, and that's fine.

In a larger pot, heat water for the pasta, add salt and a little olive oil to the water, and cook the pasta according to the package directions. This should take about 20 minutes, so during this time you can get the stuff ready for the sauce. Test the pasta by eating a strand now and then, and when done, drain out the water. Stir the pasta, and if sticky, drizzle a little olive oil over it.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet, and add the onion. Sauté for five minutes or so until the onion is soft, and add the garlic. After another minute or two, sprinkle the flour over the skillet contents and cook the flour for a few minutes.

Add the vodka to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits that might be clinging to the skillet. Add the chicken stock, parsley, and tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer. After five minutes, add the cream, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to your taste.

Add a cup of the sauce to the pasta and stir it in. Put the pasta on the plate, cover with shrimp, add the sauce, and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Have some good Italian (or California) wine and some crusty bread

[Mama Mangia]

1 tb Butter
28 oz Canned Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 c Fresh basil,chopped
1/2 c Vodka
6 tb Whipping cream
1 lb Medium shrimp,peeled and
1 lb Penne
Fresh basil sprigs

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes with juices and bring to a boil, crushing tomatoes with back of spoon. Reduce heat, add chopped basil and simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add vodka and cream and boil 3 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well. Add pasta to sauce in skillet and stir to heat through. Divide pasta among plates. Garnish with basil and serve.

[Mama Mangia]

1/2 cup butter
1 onion, diced
1 cup vodka
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 pint heavy cream
1.In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft. Pour in vodka and let cook for 10 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes.

[Johnny West]

Thanks MM. All look very good and will
look forward to doing one this week. Mrs
W bought a half gallon of non-fat 1/2 &
half for her coffee and doesn't care for it.
I'll try that and add a little more butter to
make up for it.