When life goes awry, this cheerful pasta dish can come in handy

I refuse to give a quantity for the vodka. Add as life requires.

This is an edited extract from Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink (Hardie Grant, $40.) Photography: Katrina Meynink

I refuse to give a quantity for vodka, and I refuse to give a quantity for parmesan. This is a wheels-are-MIA, choose your own adventure. Add as life requires.

Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink

Just add vodka: Photography: Katrina Meynink

Pasta alla vodka

Ingredients

• 500g bucatini pasta
• 1½ cups smoked semi-dried tomatoes (or just semi-dried if that’s all you have), plus a few extra, to serve
• 500ml (2 cups) pouring cream
• 60ml (¼ cup) chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
• Vodka at will
• Basil leaves, to scatter
• Parmesan at will, to serve

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. While it’s cooking, put the semi-dried tomatoes, cream and chicken stock in a blender and blitz until combined. (This will look weird and clumpy, but don’t worry.)
2. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil; once hot, add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens and almost looks like it’s separating. Add the cream mixture and turn down to a simmer. Add the vodka and stir occasionally while the pasta is cooking. Taste and add more vodka if required (the alcohol in it will evaporate).
3. When the pasta is ready, use tongs to lift it straight from the pot into the frying pan – you want that little bit of excess pasta water to travel with it for your sauce (and who wants to wash a colander anyway).
4. Cook for 3 minutes, turning the pasta to coat it in the sauce. Serve into bowls and top with basil, as much parmesan as the mood requires and a few extra semi-dried tomatoes. Season generously with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4