Ina Garten’s Vodka Sauce {best Vodka Sauce Ever}

If you’re a vodka sauce fan, this recipe is for you. Ina’s vodka sauce = the best vodka sauce ever.

After reading the preface to this pasta alla vecchia bettola recipe in The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof , I had to make it immediately. More than being a mainstay on the menu of one of Ina’s favorite restaurants for 20 years, what struck me about the recipe was the method, which calls for roasting the sauce in a covered pan for one-and-a-half hours.

The recipe originates from a restaurant in Florence, and Ina likens the dish to the classic penne alla vodka “but with so much more flavor.”

Few sauces that call for using canned tomatoes leave me satisfied the way this one has. But this sauce has the potential to make this winter like no other.

During the hour and a half in the oven, liquids reduce and flavors concentrate, and the resulting sweet-spicy mixture needs little more than a few splashes of cream and a handful of cheese to balance it out. Adding the full cup of cream makes for an incredibly delicious sauce, but it can hold its own with much less.

This recipe is a little fussier than most of its kind, but the hands-on time is minimal, and the lengthy cooking time really transforms the canned tomatoes. If you’re a penne alla vodka fan, this one’s for you. And don’t be afraid to use the full cup of cream. You won’t be disappointed you did!

PS: If you’re pressed for time, this quick homemade tomato sauce , which includes a vodka sauce variation, can be ready in about 30 minutes.

PPS: And if you’re looking for a fresh tomato sauce, this quick, fresh tomato-basil sauce is a favorite.

Ina’s Vodka Sauce, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients:

First, sweat the onions and garlic for five minutes:

After draining (or not… I don’t do this anymore) the San Marzano tomatoes…

… squeeze them right into the pan:

Transfer to the oven and after 1.5 hours …

…purée the mixture in a blender or food processor:

Meanwhile, boil some pasta.

Drain it.

Gather some heavy cream and grate some parmesan cheese.

Add the cream to the sauce.

Stir to incorporate.

Toss the sauce with pasta and shower with the grated parmesan.

I love this sauce with bucatini, too.

Description

If you are a vodka sauce fan, you have to try Ina Garten’s recipe: Ina’s Vodka Sauce = the BEST vodka sauce recipe. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, vodka, cream, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings, it’s perfectly balanced and so darn flavorful. I love tossing it with bucatini. Restaurant-quality pasta at home — Yes. You. Can!

Inspired by: The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• two 28 -ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes ( 56 ounces total)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
• ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

If you’re a vodka sauce fan, this recipe is for you. Ina’s vodka sauce = the best vodka sauce ever.

After reading the preface to this pasta alla vecchia bettola recipe in The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof , I had to make it immediately. More than being a mainstay on the menu of one of Ina’s favorite restaurants for 20 years, what struck me about the recipe was the method, which calls for roasting the sauce in a covered pan for one-and-a-half hours.

The recipe originates from a restaurant in Florence, and Ina likens the dish to the classic penne alla vodka “but with so much more flavor.”

Few sauces that call for using canned tomatoes leave me satisfied the way this one has. But this sauce has the potential to make this winter like no other.

During the hour and a half in the oven, liquids reduce and flavors concentrate, and the resulting sweet-spicy mixture needs little more than a few splashes of cream and a handful of cheese to balance it out. Adding the full cup of cream makes for an incredibly delicious sauce, but it can hold its own with much less.

This recipe is a little fussier than most of its kind, but the hands-on time is minimal, and the lengthy cooking time really transforms the canned tomatoes. If you’re a penne alla vodka fan, this one’s for you. And don’t be afraid to use the full cup of cream. You won’t be disappointed you did!

PS: If you’re pressed for time, this quick homemade tomato sauce , which includes a vodka sauce variation, can be ready in about 30 minutes.

PPS: And if you’re looking for a fresh tomato sauce, this quick, fresh tomato-basil sauce is a favorite.

Ina’s Vodka Sauce, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients:

First, sweat the onions and garlic for five minutes:

After draining (or not… I don’t do this anymore) the San Marzano tomatoes…

… squeeze them right into the pan:

Transfer to the oven and after 1.5 hours …

…purée the mixture in a blender or food processor:

Meanwhile, boil some pasta.

Drain it.

Gather some heavy cream and grate some parmesan cheese.

Add the cream to the sauce.

Stir to incorporate.

Toss the sauce with pasta and shower with the grated parmesan.

I love this sauce with bucatini, too.

Description

If you are a vodka sauce fan, you have to try Ina Garten’s recipe: Ina’s Vodka Sauce = the BEST vodka sauce recipe. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, vodka, cream, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings, it’s perfectly balanced and so darn flavorful. I love tossing it with bucatini. Restaurant-quality pasta at home — Yes. You. Can!

Inspired by: The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• two 28 -ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes ( 56 ounces total)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
• ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

If you’re a vodka sauce fan, this recipe is for you. Ina’s vodka sauce = the best vodka sauce ever.

After reading the preface to this pasta alla vecchia bettola recipe in The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof , I had to make it immediately. More than being a mainstay on the menu of one of Ina’s favorite restaurants for 20 years, what struck me about the recipe was the method, which calls for roasting the sauce in a covered pan for one-and-a-half hours.

The recipe originates from a restaurant in Florence, and Ina likens the dish to the classic penne alla vodka “but with so much more flavor.”

Few sauces that call for using canned tomatoes leave me satisfied the way this one has. But this sauce has the potential to make this winter like no other.

During the hour and a half in the oven, liquids reduce and flavors concentrate, and the resulting sweet-spicy mixture needs little more than a few splashes of cream and a handful of cheese to balance it out. Adding the full cup of cream makes for an incredibly delicious sauce, but it can hold its own with much less.

This recipe is a little fussier than most of its kind, but the hands-on time is minimal, and the lengthy cooking time really transforms the canned tomatoes. If you’re a penne alla vodka fan, this one’s for you. And don’t be afraid to use the full cup of cream. You won’t be disappointed you did!

PS: If you’re pressed for time, this quick homemade tomato sauce , which includes a vodka sauce variation, can be ready in about 30 minutes.

PPS: And if you’re looking for a fresh tomato sauce, this quick, fresh tomato-basil sauce is a favorite.

Ina’s Vodka Sauce, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients:

First, sweat the onions and garlic for five minutes:

After draining (or not… I don’t do this anymore) the San Marzano tomatoes…

… squeeze them right into the pan:

Transfer to the oven and after 1.5 hours …

…purée the mixture in a blender or food processor:

Meanwhile, boil some pasta.

Drain it.

Gather some heavy cream and grate some parmesan cheese.

Add the cream to the sauce.

Stir to incorporate.

Toss the sauce with pasta and shower with the grated parmesan.

I love this sauce with bucatini, too.

Description

If you are a vodka sauce fan, you have to try Ina Garten’s recipe: Ina’s Vodka Sauce = the BEST vodka sauce recipe. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, vodka, cream, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings, it’s perfectly balanced and so darn flavorful. I love tossing it with bucatini. Restaurant-quality pasta at home — Yes. You. Can!

Inspired by: The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• two 28 -ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes ( 56 ounces total)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
• ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

If you’re a vodka sauce fan, this recipe is for you. Ina’s vodka sauce = the best vodka sauce ever.

After reading the preface to this pasta alla vecchia bettola recipe in The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof , I had to make it immediately. More than being a mainstay on the menu of one of Ina’s favorite restaurants for 20 years, what struck me about the recipe was the method, which calls for roasting the sauce in a covered pan for one-and-a-half hours.

The recipe originates from a restaurant in Florence, and Ina likens the dish to the classic penne alla vodka “but with so much more flavor.”

Few sauces that call for using canned tomatoes leave me satisfied the way this one has. But this sauce has the potential to make this winter like no other.

During the hour and a half in the oven, liquids reduce and flavors concentrate, and the resulting sweet-spicy mixture needs little more than a few splashes of cream and a handful of cheese to balance it out. Adding the full cup of cream makes for an incredibly delicious sauce, but it can hold its own with much less.

This recipe is a little fussier than most of its kind, but the hands-on time is minimal, and the lengthy cooking time really transforms the canned tomatoes. If you’re a penne alla vodka fan, this one’s for you. And don’t be afraid to use the full cup of cream. You won’t be disappointed you did!

PS: If you’re pressed for time, this quick homemade tomato sauce , which includes a vodka sauce variation, can be ready in about 30 minutes.

PPS: And if you’re looking for a fresh tomato sauce, this quick, fresh tomato-basil sauce is a favorite.

Ina’s Vodka Sauce, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients:

First, sweat the onions and garlic for five minutes:

After draining (or not… I don’t do this anymore) the San Marzano tomatoes…

… squeeze them right into the pan:

Transfer to the oven and after 1.5 hours …

…purée the mixture in a blender or food processor:

Meanwhile, boil some pasta.

Drain it.

Gather some heavy cream and grate some parmesan cheese.

Add the cream to the sauce.

Stir to incorporate.

Toss the sauce with pasta and shower with the grated parmesan.

I love this sauce with bucatini, too.

Description

If you are a vodka sauce fan, you have to try Ina Garten’s recipe: Ina’s Vodka Sauce = the BEST vodka sauce recipe. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, vodka, cream, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings, it’s perfectly balanced and so darn flavorful. I love tossing it with bucatini. Restaurant-quality pasta at home — Yes. You. Can!

Inspired by: The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• two 28 -ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes ( 56 ounces total)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
• ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

Description

If you are a vodka sauce fan, you have to try Ina Garten’s recipe: Ina’s Vodka Sauce = the BEST vodka sauce recipe. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, vodka, cream, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings, it’s perfectly balanced and so darn flavorful. I love tossing it with bucatini. Restaurant-quality pasta at home — Yes. You. Can!

Inspired by: The Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped or sliced to yield 2½ cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The ½ teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I don’t use. I love dried oregano, but I don’t always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• two 28 -ounce cans peeled plum tomatoes ( 56 ounces total)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano or basil (I use basil)
• ¼ to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. UPDATE: I no longer drain the tomatoes. I find the sauce comes out just as well, and by eliminating this draining step, I don’t have to worry about using up that juice at a later date. If you have made this many times and wish to continue draining the tomatoes, go for it. Save the strained juice. It freezes well and can be used for future sauce-making days or bloody Mary mix, etc.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and use scissors to snip them into smaller pieces. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or foil and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I do this, too, and find it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and return pasta to its cooking pot.
6. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step. (Note: I purée a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and don’t add any more fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
7. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add sauce to the pasta until it’s coated to your liking, and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2013/10/17/ina-gartens-pasta-alla-vecchia-bettola/

I rarely make bread crumb chicken recipes — the flour-egg-coating assembly line always deters me — but this dijon mustard roasted chicken thigh recipe, from the Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof is simple. A quick dip in a dijon mustard-buttermilk bath provides enough glue for the bread crumbs to adhere, and roasting versus pan-frying makes the hands-on time minimal.

This bread crumb chicken has become a favorite around here, both piping hot right out of the oven for dinner and cold straight from the fridge for lunch. I made a few changes to the original recipe to make it work better for me: I used fresh bread crumbs in place of panko and roasted at a slightly higher temperature for the entire time.

After 40 minutes, the chicken emerges beautifully golden with a coating begging to be devoured. With just a gentle prod of the knife, the meat, steaming hot, falls off the bone, salty, herbed bread crumbs spilling all around. The chicken is incredibly moist, and the flavors of thyme, garlic and lemon permeate the meat. Heaven.

PS: How to Cut up a Whole Chicken

PPS: How to Roast a Chicken (and Make the Most of It)

How to Make Mustard-Roasted Chicken

First: make the seasoned bread crumbs by pulsing garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and thyme in a food processor. (I love my 14-cup Cuisinart )

Add day-old bread, and pulse to combine.

Meanwhile, soak chicken legs in a mix of buttermilk and mustard.

Transfer the chicken legs to a parchment-lined sheet pan, and coat with the seasoned bread crumbs.

Roast until the crumbs are evenly golden, and the chicken is cooked, roughly 40 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a board to rest.

Let rest briefly before cutting and serving.

Description

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s Foolproof

If you feel like getting ahead, you can marinate the chicken in the mustard and buttermilk overnight or for a few hours; if you don’t have time, don’t worry. I made this for my in-laws without marinating the chicken at all, and they raved. If you marinate the chicken, too, the buttermilk definitely acts as a tenderizer.

You can use any combination of bone-in, skin-on thighs or drumsticks. I love using thighs with this recipe.

A few changes from the original recipe:

You can find the original recipe online in various places, but these are the basic changes I’ve made: fresh bread crumbs versus panko; 4 tablespoons olive oil versus 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter; buttermilk versus white wine ( because the buttermilk is thicker than wine, I find the breadcrumbs stick to it better ); 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks versus 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces; oven temp at 400ºF the entire time.

If you are up for a little adventure…

• 4 bone-in, skin-on thighs and 4 bone-in, skin-on drumsticks
• ½ cup Dijon mustard
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• a small handful fresh thyme leaves (if the strands are soft, no need to strip the leaves)
• zest of one lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place oven rack in the middle of the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and buttermilk. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the mustard-buttermilk mixture overtop. Toss to coat.
2. Place the garlic, thyme strands (stems, if they are soft, and all), lemon zest, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (use 1.5 tsp if you are sensitive to salt), and 1 teaspoon pepper (or a few large cracks on the grinder) in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the breadcrumbs and olive oil, and pulse a few times to moisten the breadcrumbs. Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow bowl or onto a large plate — something with sides is best.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (for easy clean-up — this is not necessary, but I like using parchment.) Dip each piece of chicken skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on the sheet pan crumb-side up. After one or two pieces have been dipped, the crumb mixture might not adhere to the chicken as well. Just use your hands to press the remaining crumbs onto the chicken pieces.
4. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Check on the chicken. If necessary cook another five minutes or until the crumbs are browned. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American