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4.23 from 36 votes

Vodka Pasta with Sausage

Vodka Pasta with Sausage is the perfect dreamy dinner. Crowd favourite Pasta alla Vodka kicked up a notch with savoury sausage - this is a real treat!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 995kcal
Author: Carrie Carvalho

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pork sausages Ideally Fennel or Italian Style*
  • 200 grams your favourite pasta shapes I love Mezzi Rigatoni or Penne for this recipe
  • 150 ml good quality tomato passata
  • 150 ml double or heavy cream
  • 1 shallot or small white onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 tbsp good quality vodka
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Slit and peel the skins from the sausages and discard them.
  • Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
  • Add the sausage meat to the pan and break it up with the back of a spoon to very small pieces. Stir occasionally until the meat is browned all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.
  • As the sausage is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
  • Add the remaining olive oil to the pan you used to cook the sausage, and add the shallot along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften but don't let it burn.
  • Add the garlic to the onions and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant, then pour over the passata. Give it a stir then turn the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions - you want it to be al dente, so aim for the lower end of the timing on the packet.
  • Pour the vodka into the pan and stir well. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes, then stir in half of the cream. Let it bubble for a minute, then stir in the rest of the cream.
  • Let it simmer very gently on the lowest heat for another 3-4minutes, until the pasta is almost ready, then stir in the cooked sausage crumbles with a generous pinch of cracked black pepper.
  • Drain the pasta (reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta water) and stir into the sauce. Use some of the reserved pasta water if you feel you need to loosen the sauce a little. Add additional salt and pepper to taste if desired.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan and some fresh chopped basil or parsley.

Notes

*If you can't find fennel or Italian sausage then you can use any good-quality pork sausages. Before cooking, toast ½ a teaspoon of fennel seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Grind with a pestle & mortar then add to the sausage meat when cooking along with a pinch of chilli flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 995kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 377mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1523IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg