Marion Wine Bar’s Vodka Pasta
If you’ve been to Marion Wine Bar in Fitzroy, chances are you’ve had this dish. It started off as a seasonal special and they haven’t been able to take it off the menu since. There’s a good reason that this is a crowd favourite, it’s crispy, it’s saucy and it damn tasty.
Pasta shape is important, I went for the one they use in the restaurant, but you want a shape that will help to catch the sauce. Also don’t skip on grating over the cheese on top, you want that caramelisation to make the dish everything it should be!
Baked Pipe Rigate with Spicy Vodka Sauce
Print RecipeIngredients
- 25g unsalted butter
- ½ brown onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 85g tomato paste
- ¾ tsp dried chilli flakes
- sea salt flakes, to taste
- 30ml vodka
- 400g tinned whole tomatoes
- 125ml thickened cream
- 250g pipe rigate
- grana padano, for grating
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a wide, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter, once melted add the onion and garlic, cook stirring until the onion turns translucent. Add the tomato paste, chilli flakes and a couple of pinches of salt, cook for 5 minutes stirring constantyl to prevent the sauce for catching.
- Add the vodka, carefully light it up with the burner or a lighter, scraping the base of the pan, then add the tinned tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced. Pour in the cream, stir to combine, then dimmer for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little before blending with a stick blender until smooth.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for half the cooking time of the packet. Drain well, pour into the the saucepan with sauce and stir well to coat.
- Tip the pasta and sauce into a baking dish, cover the top liberally with Grana Padano and drizzle with olive oil. Baking for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and the top is well caramlised. Crack some black pepper over the top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve.
Marion Wine Bar’s Vodka Pasta