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Penne a La Vodka Casserole

Emeril Lagasse

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Sunday Dinner

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (75)

  • Cook Time:

    1 hr 15 min

  • Level:

    Intermediate

  • Yield:

    10 to 12 servings

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Times:

Prep
20 min
Inactive Prep
--
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Total:
1 hr 35 min
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
  • 1 pound hot Italian sausage, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
  • 4 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 2 (16-ounce) cans crushed whole tomatoes, with their juice
  • 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 15 ounces ricotta
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 11/2 cups grated mozzarella
  • Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just soft, about 4 minutes. Add the basil and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the vodka and tomatoes; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. Add the Essence and heavy cream, stir to mix, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To cook the pasta, combine 4 quarts water, the 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Combine half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add the sausage mixture and mix well. Add the remaining ricotta cheese and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve warm with crusty bread.

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

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Read more Comments & Reviews (75)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Curtis Granada Hills, CA 08-29-2009

    Flag

    Great!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I changed the recipe up a little cause many people I know are not fans of ricotta so I just used a little extra mozzarella. I... added chicken and prosciutto to the sauce and sprinkled prosciutto on top with the cheese as well, it makes it an extremely hearty meal. I made it this way for my mom on her birthday last year and everyone loved it, just made it again two days ago for my final shift of paramedic internship... all the guys from the firehouse went crazy over it! It was a huge hit again.... all I have to say is BAM! thank you Emeril!Read more
  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Ann Bethpage, NY 08-22-2009

    Flag

    Very Tasty

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    This was really delicious. That said, it really didn't taste "a La Vodka" ish but had a fabulous tast combination. I... prepared this the day before and baked it the next day. Was devoured!Read more
  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Coleen Midlothian, VA 06-18-2009

    Flag

    Pleases even picky eaters

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made this for the first time last night and served it to guests, one of whom is somewhat of a picky eater. Everyone loved... it, and the picky eater asked for the recipe on his way out the door! It was simple to make, with the most "difficult" part being removing the casings from the sausage. The Essence recipe leaves you with a lot of Essence, though that can be looked at as encouragement to make more Emeril recipes. With the prep and cooking times, it takes a couple of hours to make, but it was well worth the effort and the wait.Read more
  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Marie Austin, TX 04-19-2009

    Flag

    Time Consuming but worth it

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made a double batch of this last night for two friends having babies, a neighbor having surgery, and myself. It was a lot... of pots, pans, and dishes to clean, but worth it. Based on other reviews and the fact that one of the families I'm cooking for has young children I decided to cut down the heat and used all sweet sausage and used less than half of the Emeril Essense called for....and I wish I hadn't cut down SO much on the Essense as I think I compromised a bit of flavor. I am glad that I read reviews and took the sausage out of the casings to brown it; next time I will follow the advice of another reviewer and add a bit of fontina cheese to the top because fontina adds so much flavor. Overall, a delicious, rich end product, just be prepared to devote several hours to preparation & clean up.Read more
  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Elaine Miami, FL 02-05-2009

    Flag

    Oh my word!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    So delicious. I used whole wheat rigatoni and 2 lbs hot turkey sausage. I also used fresh mozzarella and fontina cheese for... topping. Will be making this again and again. Next time, I'll add some peas.Read more
  • recipe Penne a La Vodka Casserole
    Richard Cranston, RI 12-22-2008

    Flag

    Wow...hot!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made this recipe for a pot-luck work Christmas Party and it got rave reviews...but I have to admit, it was pretty spicy. I... think cutting down on the cayenne red pepper as part of Emeril's Essence would make it a little less spicy next time. But then again, a lot of people like it extra spicy!!Read more
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