Quattrotini Vodka Carbonara alla Nerano
Pancetta, zucchini, vodka, eggs, and Pecorino come together in this delicious mash-up of three classic pasta sauces: Vodka, alla Nerano, and Carbonara. Paired with Sfoglini’s Quattrotini, which perfectly store the rich, textured sauce sauce in their myriad of tubes, this dish combines the richness of carbonara, the complexity of vodka, and the flavor of zucchini in a sauce that will surprise and delight anyone who tries it!
INGREDIENTS
MAKES FOUR - SIX SERVING
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 2 small onions, diced
- 2 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 pound Sfoglini Quattrotini
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups grated Pecorino cheese, plus more to serve
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Add the pancetta to a large saute pan and bring to medium low heat. Cook the pancetta slowly, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp. Remove the pancetta and set aside.
Increase the heat to medium and add the onion and zucchini to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the zucchini. Lower the heat if the vegetables start to brown. After approximately 10 minutes, uncover the pan and use a wooden spoon to start crushing and breaking up the zucchini. Continue to cook, covered, until the zucchini have nearly softened, removing the lid every few minutes to break them up a bit more.
Once the zucchini are broken up into pieces no larger than 1/2”, add the vodka and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until nearly all the alcohol has evaporated, approximately 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to just al dente, according to package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and Pecorino in a bowl. When the pasta has about a minute left, use a measuring cup to remove about 1 cup of the water from the pot, and add a few splashes of it to the egg mixture, stirring constantly, to temper the eggs.
Working quickly, with the pan off the heat, uncover the saute pan and stir the egg mixture into the zucchini/vodka mixture. Once it’s combined, transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water to the saute pan using a slotted spoon, and stir it gently into the sauce to combine. Turn the heat to low and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened, about one or two minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen.
Serve topping with the pancetta and passing extra Pecorino alongside.
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Chef's Note: We recommend Tito’s Vodka for this recipe, but any vodka you enjoy drinking would work well! The pancetta and Pecorino cause this sauce to have a rather high salt content; be careful when seasoning this dish. You should only add a small amount of salt to the zucchini and the pasta water, and wait until after the sauce is combined with the pasta to add more. Parmesan cheese can be used in place of Pecorino, but in this case more salt should be added to the recipe.
Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Sfoglini Radiators, Vesuvio, or Bucatini.