Make some room on the holiday table for this extra cheesy dish by Tori Falzon of Into The Sauce.
This Easy Vodka Pasta Bake Will Be Your New Festive Season Favourite
Make some room on the holiday table for this extra cheesy dish by Tori Falzon of Into The Sauce.
Welcome to Put on a Spread, a recipe series that takes you inside the kitchens – and dining rooms – of some of our favourite home cooks. For this instalment, Tori Falzon of Into the Sauce shares her recipe for vodka pasta bake.
When it comes to the festive season, we're all about keeping it fuss-free yet fantastic. With simple tricks, such as gifting ready-to-go holiday gift bundles, decorating your table with colourful linen and plateware, and opting for simple dishes that also taste great, you can ensure any holiday party runs smoothly.
On our holiday menu this year is Tori Falzon's easy and cheesy vodka pasta bake. This indulgent dish consists of ricotta-stuffed pasta shells nestled in a creamy, tomato-y vodka sauce, topped with mozzarella and parmesan and baked until golden and crispy.
This crowd-pleasing recipe is the perfect main course when family and friends come around, or a lovely addition to any shared feast or holiday potluck this festive season.
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 700g ricotta
- 100g Parmesan, finely grated
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg, finely grated or grounded
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 60g unsalted butter
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 260g double concentrate tomato paste
- 3 tbsp vodka
- 600ml cooking cream
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
For the bake
- 250g conchiglioni (large pasta shells)
- 200g fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 100g Parmesan, finely grated
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Method
- Preheat oven to 185°C.
- Add ricotta, 100g Parmesan, and nutmeg to a mixing bowl, and stir until incorporated. Taste and season.
- Heat oil and butter in a large pan on medium.
- Add shallots, garlic and chilli flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the colour deepens.
- Add vodka and stir constantly until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Add cream and stir until incorporated.
- Season with a good pinch of salt, and stir through basil leaves.
- Remove from heat and cover with a lid so a skin doesn’t form.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in salty water until very al dente (minus approx three minutes from the packet instructions cooking time).
- Spoon a layer of vodka sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish.
- Gently spoon the ricotta filling into each conchiglioni shell, filling them to about three-quarters full (you don’t want to overpack them or you’ll run out of stuffing. Also note there will likely be some pasta leftover), and then place them in the baking dish.
- Cover with vodka sauce, then fresh mozzarella, then sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the Parmesan is golden. You can finish it under the grill if the top needs more browning.
- Rest for 10 minutes before serving with a green salad.
