Recipes by Zola - Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce and Meatballs

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Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce and Meatballs

Zola Gorgon

Viva Italia! Even in Summer!

Note:Zola's been feeling under the weather but she still wants you to have something special for the upcoming Independence Day Holiday. Enjoy this previously published column!

I have two sizeable dinners coming up. One is our 4th of July party. We'll have our best clients in for that party and we also entertain friends and family. I suspect there will be about 40 or more at that one.

The next one is July 13. I have a whole group of female CEOs coming to dinner on the roof decks. There will be about 20 in attendance.

In both cases I have to make dinner in short order. The first one I have some time to prepare but, for the CEO dinner, I will be in a meeting with them from noon until 4PM and then they come directly to my place. No time in between. I have to be ready.

I know the women are always watching their weight, but I don't know if some of them are vegetarians so I have to keep that in mind too. Who's on a low-carb diet and who eats pasta? I have no clue.

This all made me think of you. I figure you've got some dinners coming up that would be nice to have mostly ready in advance so you don't have to deal with it. And you might need some dietary flexibility like I do too.

Something that would really surprise guests during the summer would be a pasta dish with meatballs. I made this about two weeks ago and it tasted GREAT. If it's not too hot out, this can be a perfect alternative to grilling out. It can also accommodate the vegetarians in your group if you heat and keep your meatballs separated from the pasta and sauce. With fresh basil from the garden, this pasta tastes really fresh and almost summery. You can even separate the pasta from the sauce if you wish, because those on a low-carb diet will love the meatballs with the tomato sauce and no pasta.

Put it all in one platter to serve, or separate each item so those with dietary restrictions can pick and choose.

Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce and Meatballs

Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, minced (Jar garlic is fine.)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste, more or less)
3 Tbl olive oil (extra virgin if you have it)
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes (You can use the ones with Italian spices added if you'd like. And if your garden tomatoes are looking good, you can chop those instead.)
1/4 cup vodka (Any brand will work. Do not use flavored vodka, e.g. citrus.)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (Bagged, already grated in advance will do fine.)
2 Tbl fresh basil cut into teeny strips

16 oz Italian, precooked meatballs (Frozen is fine. No need to thaw.)
1 pound pasta (Penne and rigatoni work best.)

Put your pasta pot (large) on to boil. (This takes the longest of the whole meal.)

While the water is coming to a boil, get out a large sauté pan. Add the olive oil, garlic and peppers. Heat this on Medium High until it starts to sizzle. Don't heat it too long. If the garlic gets brown, the taste will be very rusty.

As soon as it's sizzling, add the tomatoes and vodka. (This is a vodka sauce, so I have no non-alcohol substitute. I guess you could try it with non-alcoholic wine.) Bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs, even right from the freezer! Heat this mixture on Medium until the meatballs are thawed and everything is hot. Should be about 15 minutes.

By then the pasta water should be boiling. Add your pasta. Follow the directions on the package, but most penne and rigatoni take about 15 minutes to cook.

Go back to your sauce. Add the cream, the pint of cherry tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn your heat to Low and add your Parmesan. Stir. Leave simmer until the pasta is completed. When you dish up the sauce, sprinkle on the basil. The aroma will be heavenly.

When finished, thoroughly drain your pasta.

Follow the serving instruction hints that appear ahead of the recipe.

Add more grated cheese to the finished dish to be served, if you'd like. Some garlic bread and a Zola's Caesar Salad (at www.dinnerwithzola.com) will round out the entrée. Serve with Limoncello Italian liqueur drizzled over ice cream or vanilla gelato, and you have an entire summer meal.

This news arrived on: 07/02/2007

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