Spicy Penne Alla Vodka With Meatballs
Legitimately the best pasta on earth. I made it dairy-free and gluten-free as I'm intolerant, but you would never know!Sauce recipe, and pasta (if using 1 box), makes enough for 2 batches (roughly 4 servings). May want to double the meatball recipe if making for 3 – 4 people. Cook Time and Total Times will vary pending whether you pan-fry or bake your meatballs. Storage instructions below.
Servings 2 - 4
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 box pasta (I prefer Jovial gluten-free Penne)
- Fresh basil to garnish
Meatballs
- 2-3 tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil for cooking
- 1 lb organic ground chicken or ground protein of your choice
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tsp jalapeño finely chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- Fresh ground pepper
Spicy Vodka Sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes I prefer no salt added so I can add my own
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, I used the boiling pasta water in a glass cup
- 2-3 tbsp fresh basil
- 1 tbsp Calabrian peppers/chilies adjust or remove based on spice preference
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
- Prepare meatballs by mixing all ingredients, then rolling into 1-inch sized rounds.
- At this time, chop onion and garlic for sauce, then set aside.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a medium skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add meatballs and heat on medium for 5 minutes or until golden brown, then flip. Once all sides are browned, reduce heat or turn off, add 2-3 tbsp of water to the pan, then cover to let steam.
- OPTIONAL: If using the oven instead of skillet, preheat to 400 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan with avocado oil and place the meatballs, spaced evenly, across the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Option to put broil on at the end to brown the surface of the meatballs for 2 minutes.
Pasta and Spicy Vodka Sauce (makes enough for 2 batches / 4 servings)
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook pasta according to directions. Continue with steps below while pasta is cooking. **Once pasta is done, strain then drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the top and stir once to help avoid sticking together while the other ingredients finish cooking.
- While pasta is cooking, transfer 1 cup of pasta water to a glass or bowl and add cashews to soak for about 10 minutes. **After soaking, strain cashews to remove soaking water, leaving the cashews in the blender.
- While pasta is cooking and cashews are soaking, heat another large pot or skillet with 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Once hot, sauté onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add fire roasted tomatoes, vodka and salt, and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
- When 10 minutes of simmering is up, ensure the cashews have been strained before using a ladle or pouring the simmered mixture into a blender, along with the remaining sauce ingredients.
- Blend with the lid on (center cap undone to allow steam to escape) with a kitchen towel over the top for several minutes until smooth.
Serve and Store
- Serve (strained) pasta with spicy vodka sauce, meatballs, chopped fresh basil, sea salt, and any sides you prefer. I usually make a side of my Crispy Buttery Broccolini, or a simple salad. Enjoy!
- Store leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat. To avoid the meatballs drying out, reheat in a 350 F pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on their size, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Leftover sauce should also be stored in an airtight container, and will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then gently reheat in a saucepan.