Vodka sauce is typically made with a healthy dose of heavy cream. This version replaces the dairy with silken tofu, but tastes just as rich as the real deal. In place of Parmesan, we added miso paste for an umami boost and some nutritional yeast for added “cheesy” flavor.
Miso-Vodka Pasta
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces silken tofu
- ½ cup nutritional yeast or plant-based Parmesan
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) vodka
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 pound rigatoni (or desired pasta shape)
- Fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving
Procedure:
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the paste starts to darken, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer while you prepare the next step.
- While the sauce simmers, add the tofu, nutritional yeast, vodka, and miso paste to a blender and purée until smooth.
- Add the tofu mixture to the pot and continue simmering for 20 minutes to develop the flavors and cook off the alcohol.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Add the noodles to the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water, if necessary, until the sauce is smooth and glossy enough to coat the noodles. Divide into four bowls and garnish with basil.
Notes and Substitutions:
- Silken tofu is usually sold in plastic tubs next to the refrigerated block tofu, or in shelf-stable cardboard boxes. We prefer the former if we’re eating silken tofu on its own with toppings, but the shelf-stable stuff is perfect for keeping on hand for weeknight pastas and morning smoothies. It doesn't need to be drained or pressed, so just throw it right into the skillet or blender.
- For salting pasta water, use 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt for every 4 quarts of water.
