Spaghetti Alla Vodka with Mussels
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Calories
- 680
- Total Fat
- 29 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 12 grams
- Cholesterol
- 91 milligrams
- Sodium
- 987 milligrams
- Carbohydrates
- 74 grams
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 grams
- Protein
- 31 grams
- Sugar
- 8 grams
- Total: 35 min
- Active: 35 min
Ingredients
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus more for topping
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup vodka
1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
10 ounces spaghetti
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vodka. Add the mussels, cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Remove from the heat; keep the pot covered.
- Meanwhile, after adding the cream to the tomato sauce, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain. Add the spaghetti to the pot with the mussels, along with 1/4 cup cooking water. Cook over medium heat, tossing and adding more cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, if the sauce seems too thick, until the spaghetti is well coated. Season with salt.
- Divide the spaghetti and mussels among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the parsley and more red pepper flakes.