This vodka cream sauce is so luxurious you will not be able to resist putting it on just about everything! Pair it with the savoury flavor of the pancetta ravioli and you’ve got yourself a very rich dish fit for a special occasion. It might take you a little extra time to make the pasta dough by hand, but it is totally worth it. But, if you don’t have time, this meal can still be put together relatively quickly if you use pre-made wonton wrappers to make the ravioli.
Ingredients you will need
- Pancetta
- Eggs
- Ricotta cheese
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Frozen spinach
- Handmade pasta dough, or wonton wrappers
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Semolina flour
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Red Pepper Flakes (dried chile flakes), or Calabrian chiles
- Tomato paste
- San Marzano tomatoes, or passata (crushed tomatoes)
- Heavy cream
Tools you will need
- Kitchenaid mixer with dough attachments and pasta roller attachment or a manual pasta roller
- Ravioli maker (affiliate) (tray), wheel or stamp
- Spray bottle with water
- Large saute pan
- Sharp knife
Details
Make the Dough
If you are using wonton wrappers, for this recipe, skip on over to making the sauce section.
If you are making the pasta dough by hand, which I highly recommend, you need to make the dough first so it can rest in the fridge before you roll it out. This is an important step in pasta making because it allows the flour to fully combine with the water and allows the gluten to relax. You’ll notice that if you don’t rest the dough, it is very dry and too elastic to roll into the thin sheets you’ll need to make the ravioli.
For this step, skip over to our full instructions on how to make pasta dough.
Once you are done making the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and throw it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and no more than 24 hours.
Make the Sauce
While the dough is resting, start making the vodka cream sauce. This sauce comes together quickly, but tastes like it took a really long time. Place a large sauté pan over low heat and add the olive oil and then the onions. Make sure you mince the onions very, very small. This sauce is meant to be very smooth and without chunks, so the smaller the onions the happier you will be with the silky texture of your sauce.
Cook the onions until they are translucent, but not brown. If they start to go brown, then you have the heat too high and you should turn it down. Let the onions cook for about 5-8 minutes.
Then add the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds or until they are aromatic. Be very careful not to burn the garlic, as that can produce a bitter flavor. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds so that the flakes flavor the oil. If you like a little more heat and flavor, feel free to substitute Calabrian Chiles in this dish. Most people don’t have them in their kitchen, so I don’t include them in my main recipe, but they do add amazing flavor and heat to any dish.
Next, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes or until they are a bright red color.
Add the vodka and stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes so that the alcohol evaporates away.
Now you are ready to add the crushed tomatoes. I use San Marzano tomatoes and blend them before adding them to the sauce. But, you can also buy passata, which is just crushed fresh tomatoes that have been put through a sieve so the seeds and skins are removed. Passata usually comes in a glass jar and can be found at any grocery store. The idea here is that you are using tomatoes that will create a silky, creamy texture. You do not want chunks.
Stir everything together and turn the heat down to lower and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
While the sauce is cooking, you can get started on your ravioli filling. Mix the egg yolks, pancetta, spinach, ricotta, salt and pepper together in a large bowl and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it again. Make sure the filling is not too wet, otherwise it might make the fresh pasta sticky and difficult to work with when you add it.
Make the ravioli
Take your fully rested dough out of the fridge and cut it into 1/8th wedges. Working with smaller amounts at a time will make it easier for you. I use a ravioli tray (affiliate) to make my ravioli, and so I aim to make my sheets fit the tray, about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long. I find this tool really useful for keeping the size of the ravioli consistent and I find they end up looking very professional. However, you will also get good results with ravioli wheels or stamps.
Before you start rolling out your dough, make sure you have enough space to lay out your sheets while you are finishing the rolling process. You will need semolina flour for dusting the counter and the sheets so they do not stick. You will also need plastic wrap or tea towels to cover the sheets so they do not dry out. You will have a hard time shaping and sealing the ravioli if the dough has dried out.
Start rolling out your dough either using a hand roller or a Kitchenaid attachment, whichever you have. I like to roll the dough to the 2nd thinnest setting on the Kitchenaid attachment. This gives the pasta enough thickness to hold the following, while still being delicate.
Roll out all the dough, making sure you are dusting it with semolina flour and covering it up along the way. Once you are done rolling you are now ready to take your filling out of the fridge to assemble the raviolis.
Dust the ravioli tray (affiliate) before you start to use it, so the dough does not stick to it. Place your sheet of pasta directly over the ravioli maker (affiliate), making sure there is enough overlap on all the edges. Then use the plastic dimples to create pockets in the dough.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling into each pocket.
Inspect the dough. Is it tacky? Or dry? If you think it’s a bit dry then use your spray bottle with water to lightly spray the pasta, this will help it seal. If you do not have a spray bottle, fill a small dish with water, dip your fingers in the water and run them along the edges of each square of ravioli.
Next, place a second sheet of pasta directly over top and gently push down with both your flat hands, starting from the center and out to the edges to remove any air bubbles between the layers of dough. Use the little rolling pin to roll over the ravioli maker until all the excess dough has fallen away. You can keep all the excess bits to throw in a soup. Just put them in the freezer and save them for later.
Turn the ravioli tray over and remove the ravioli. If they don’t pop out of the tray easily, then you know you need to use more semolina flour on the next batch. Place the ravioli on a lightly dusted sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. Keep the ravioli separate so that they do not touch, otherwise they may stick together and it will be very difficult to pull them apart without tearing the pasta.
If you plan to freeze some of this ravioli, take the entire sheet pan and place it in the freezer while the ravioli are still separated. Once they are completely frozen you can take them off the sheet pan and throw them into a freezer bag, or airtight container, for storage.
Repeat this process until all your filling is gone. And now you’re ready to cook the ravioli!
Complete the Dish
Bring water and salt to a soft boil in a large saucepan. With delicate pasta, like ravioli, you do not want a rolling boil, because it risks the pasta tearing and losing all its filling. Add the ravioli and cook for about 4-6 minutes. You will have to cook these in batches, so that the ravioli are not over-crowded in the pot.
As you are taking the ravioli out of the pot add them directly into the sauce. Finish cooking all the ravioli and toss them in the sauce. Add one ladle of pasta water to the sauce and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
Plate and garnish with a pinch of freshly grated parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes (optional).
Now you can eat, and you earned it. Enjoy!
FAQ
Adding vodka to the sauce gives it a sharpness that helps to balance the sweet and creamy flavors of the tomatoes and cream. You would still have a lovely sauce if you didn’t add the vodka, but adding the vodka, along with the red pepper flakes gives it a little extra umph!
You might have had Penne alla vodka, which is the most popular use of this sauce, found on many menus across North America. Vodka Cream Sauce also tastes amazing on rigatoni, tortellini or any short noodle with ridges on it that will pick with the sauce. I don’t typically put it on any long noodles because they don’t pick up the sauce very well, but if long noodles are your jam go for it!
Absolutely! The alcohol in the vodka sauce boils off within minutes of being added to the sauce, so no need to worry about intoxicating your own children.
Substitutions
- Make it extra creamy – For extra creaminess, you can add ¼ cup of mascarpone cheese to the sauce. I don’t include this in my recipe because it is not something most people have in their kitchen, but it would be a delicious addition.
- Make it extra spicy – For extra spiciness and flavor, substitute the dried chili flakes for Calabrian chiles
- Make it easy – If you do not have time to make your own ravioli, you can substitute your favorite store-bought ravioli with this sauce and it will be absolutely delicious
- No Pancetta? That’s ok you can use bacon instead!
Wine Pairings
Tomatoes tend to be very high in acidity, so you want to look for a wine that also has a high acid profile, otherwise the flavor of the wine will get lost.
For this reason anything tomato based usually pairs well with a dry, medium-bodied red wine. A beautiful Italian Sangiovese or a French/Canadian Cabernet Franc would be perfect for this dish. For red wines, look for notes of tomatoes, red fruits and herbs. Here are a few suggestions:
- Umberto Cesari – Sangiovese Riserva, Sangiovese di Romagna, Italy
- Burrowing Owl – Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
If you prefer white wine, don’t worry! The creaminess of this dish allows it to pair nicely with a dry, medium to full-bodied white. Look for notes of citrus, green fruit and cream. A Sauvignon Blanc, a creamy Bordeaux Semillon or an Italian Soave Classico would pair very nicely. Here are a few suggestions:
- Leaning Post – Sauvignon Blanc, Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada
- Clos du Soleil – Capella, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
- Calvarino Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with pancetta ravioli in vodka cream sauce:
Pancetta Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Ravioli
- 4 oz thinly sliced pancetta chopped into small pieces
- 15 ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 10 ounce package frozen spinach thawed , squeezed dry
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds handmade egg dough sheets or 48 wonton wrappers
- Semolina flour for dusting
Creamy Vodka Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion very finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes crushed or blended
- ½ cup vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chili Flakes (optional)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Check out our Pasta Dough Recipe for this step
Make the Vodka Sauce
- Place a large saute pan over low heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, but not brown. If they are starting to brown, turn the heat down. Cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 10 – 15 seconds or until aromatic. Add the chili flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 -3 minutes. The color should be bright red.
- Add the vodka, stir and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the flavors have integrated, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
- Season with salt to taste.
Make the Filling
- In a large bowl whisk together the ricotta, egg yolks, spinach, pancetta, salt and pepper until blended.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 hours, or until you are ready to use it.
Make the Ravioli
- Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest on the counter for about 5-10 minutes before you roll it.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina flour.
- Unwrap the dough and cut it into 1/8th pieces. Use your pasta roller to create 8 sheets of dough about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long, or big enough to fit your ravioli tray.
- Dust the sheets with semolina flour and cover them with a tea towel so they do not dry out.
- Dust the ravioli maker with semolina flour so the dough does not stick to it.
- Lay one sheet of ravioli on your tray and use the plastic piece to create dimples in the dough.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling into each dimple.
- Using a spray bottle, or dip your fingers in some water, moisten the dough around the edges of each ravioli. This will help the layers stick together.
- Lay a second sheet of dough over the first layer and gently press out any air bubbles between the layers using your hands.
- Use the rolling pin to press the dough together. Keep rolling until the edges cut away. Keep any trimmings to make a soup with if you like.
- Flip the tray over and pop the ravioli out of the tray. They should come out easily if you have used enough semolina flour to prevent sticking.
- Place each ravioli on a tray lined with parchment paper, so they are not touching. You do not want them to stick together.
- Repeat the above until you are out of steps, dusting the ravioli tray each time you start the process over.
Putting it all together
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the ravioli and cook for 6- 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pasta.Do not overcrowd the ravioli in the pot. You may need to do multiple batches if you don’t have a large enough pot.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the ravioli from the pasta water and place the in the sauce. Add about ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water to the sauce and mix it all together until each ravioli is covered with sauce.
- Serve immediately with a freshly ground pepper, chili flakes and a pinch of parm!
Leave a Reply