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Vodka Sauce Penne With Meatballs | DonalSkehan.com, A flavourful pasta dish that’s easy to make and perfect for large crowds.
  • main-meals

Vodka Sauce Penne With Meatballs

February 24

What’s simple, flavourful and loaded with undeniable joy? My next level Vodka Pasta with Meatballs and Garlic Bread! This dish is ultimate comfort food. I use N’duja, a delicious spreadable salumi from Italy that brings a smokey, spicy and sweet depth to this dish.

  • serves Serves 4
  • time 40mins

Method

  1. 1. For the garlic bread; In a bowl, mash together the butter with the garlic and oregano until evenly combined. Spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of butter and place on a grill tray. Toast under a hot grill just before you serve the pasta.
  2. 2. For the meatballs; In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper and mix until completely and evenly combined. Form small polpette sized meatballs by rolling them in your hands. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Keeping a small bowl of cold water for dipping your hands in after each meatballs will prevent things getting too sticky. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  3. 3. Place a large frying pan over a medium high heat and add a good glug of olive oil. Fry the meatballs in two batches until browned on all sides and then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  4. 4. Melt the butter in the pan over a medium heat and add the onion, pancetta & nduja and cook until the onion is just tender and the pancetta and nduja are sizzling and golden.
  5. 5. Add the vodka and allow to simmer for a minute before adding the cream, tomato purée and parsley. Add the meatballs back to the pan and gently simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  6. 6. While the meatballs cook in the sauce, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, drain and place back in the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs and gently mix through with parmesan cheese & torn basil leaves.
  7. 7. Serve in a deep bowl with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and garlic bread.

Ingredients

12 oz dried penne or rigatoni

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 oz pancetta or bacon bits or 2 slices cooked ham, chopped

2 oz nduja

4 tablespoons vodka

2/3 cup double cream

3 tablespoons tomato purée

A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

For the meatballs:

9 oz good quality minced beef

9 oz good quality minced pork

4 oz pancetta, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 oz breadcrumbs

1 tbsp dried oregano, chopped

A small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 large free range egg, lightly beaten

2 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated (keeping a little extra back)

Salt & pepper

For the garlic bread:

1 baguette, sliced in long diagonal slices approx 10-15cm

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 tsp dried oregano

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

350g dried penne or rigatoni

25g butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

50g pancetta or bacon bits or 2 slices cooked ham, chopped

50g nduja

4 tablespoon vodka

200ml  double cream

3 tablespoon tomato purée

A small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

For the meatballs:

250g good quality minced beef

250g good quality minced pork

100g pancetta, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

60ml buttermilk

50g breadcrumbs

1 tbsp dried oregano, chopped

A small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 large free range egg, lightly beaten

50g parmesan cheese, finely grated (keeping a little extra back)

Salt & pepper

For the garlic bread:

1 baguette, sliced in long diagonal slices approx 10-15cm

100g butter, at room temperature

2 tsp dried oregano

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

You'll Need

Large frying pan

Baking sheet

Grill tray