Last night I came dangerously close to choosing a jarred sauce to pair with the lobster ravioli we splurged on at The Pasta Shoppe in Oak Park. I had the jar of alfredo all ready to go, and while I’m sure I’d have loved it (Bertolli Alfredo may not be authentic, but it’s divine), I was in the mood for something fresher, and I wanted a great way to use the large bunch of spinach from our produce delivery. That’s when the idea for vodka sauce came to mind.

I’ve never made a vodka sauce before, but this was easily the best homemade sauce I have ever made. I found a bunch of recipes online. Some asked for one cup of vodka, others called for only 2 tbsp (!?!). Very few used spinach, but that was a key ingredient of mine.  So, without a clear recipe I ended up combining elements of  to create this amazing sauce. I served it with lobster ravioli, but it would also be an amazing vegetarian dish if you substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Here’s what I did (the recipe is behind the cut):

Spinach Vodka Sauce

  • 1 shallot, diced fine
  • 1/2 small onion, diced fine
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced fine
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 4–6 cubes Dorot frozen basil (get it at Trader Joes in the freezer section)
  • 1 cup chicken stock (I’ve been singing the praises of Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock from Costco lately)
  • 1 can (28 oz) chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 large bunch spinach leaves (or a bag of baby spinach). Leave baby spinach leaves as they are, but cut large leaves down.
  • Splash of half & half (what I had on hand) or heavy cream
  • 2–4 tbsp fresh grated asiago, parmesan or romano cheese
  • Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
  • 1 cup plus 1 splash vodka (we used whatever we used to refill our Crystal Head Vodka bottle; a Russian vodka in a less awesome bottle, I thnk… but I digress)

Heat your oil and butter in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the garlic, onions, shallots and basil and sauté for about 5 minutes or so. Add 1 cup of vodka (keep the bottle around for a splash later) and reduce by about half. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes (with juice). When it starts bubbling, reduce the heat. Taste often and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

After the mixture reduces and starts to become thick and saucy, add the cheese, fine-tune the flavors and add the splash of vodka. Reduce a bit more, then add the spinach until wilted. Before you serve it, add a splash of cream to taste. I like a little, but you can use up to 1/2 cup or more if you want it creamier. The little bit of creaminess will help it stick to your pasta. Taste again and adjust seasonings as necessary before serving.

Serve over pasta and garnish with some freshly grated cheese.