Vodka Pizza Food

PIZZA ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Make Sheet-Pan Pizza Dough. During the final rise, put a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500˚ for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the vodka sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until softened, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 12 to 18 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the vodka; cook 1 minute. Season with salt.
• Puree the sauce in a blender. Remove 1 cup sauce to a bowl; set aside for serving. Refrigerate the remaining sauce until cooled.
• Sprinkle the pecorino and parmesan over the dough. Top with the mozzarella, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon the cooled vodka sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more grated cheese.
• Put the baking sheet directly on the hot stone and bake until the crust is browned around the edges and the cheese is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Loosen the edges of the pizza with an offset spatula, then loosen the bottom. Slide the pizza onto a cutting board; cut into squares. Top with basil and more grated cheese. Serve with the reserved sauce.

VODKA SAUCE PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 1/2 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 to 1.5 hours.
• After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Divide it in half and use only one half for this pizza recipe. Save the other half - stick it in the fridge for a few days, or even freeze it!
• Using a rolling pin or your hands, form it loosely into your desired shape. Sprinkle a bit of flour or cornmeal on a 10x15 inch baking sheet. Place the dough on top. You can also use a pizza stone or cook this in your pizza oven if you wish!
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Make the vodka sauce. To make a starchy pasta water without cooking pasta, combine 1 cup of water with ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat!
• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. The color will darken - this is where the flavor is!
• Stream in the vodka and stir, scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in ½ cup of the reserved (or makeshift) pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed. This will make more sauce than needed. Store it in the fridge for a few days or use it to make another pizza!
• To make the pizza, spread about ½ to ¾ cup of vodka sauce all over the pizza dough. Top with the fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese.
• Place the pizza on the sheet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Check on it after 15 minutes - if it's not deeply golden and melty yet, give it another 5 minutes. Once golden and bubbly, remove it and let cool before slicing. Sprinkle with basil and extra parmesan and serve!

VODKA SAUCE RICOTTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Brush a rimmed baking sheet with the olive oil. Place the pizza dough on top and coat with a bit of the oil from the sheet using a pastry brush. Let the dough sit at room temperature until it can easily be stretched to all corners of the baking sheet without springing back, about 1 hour (if needed let sit for an additional hour).
• Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, chives, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper together in a medium bowl. Stretch the dough to all corners of the baking sheet. Spread the ricotta mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Arrange the mozzarella on top and bake until the crust is deep golden brown at the edges and on the bottom, and the cheese is melted and starting to turn brown in spots, 20 to 23 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the pizza cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the vodka sauce on top of the pizza then remove the pizza from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

PASTA ALLA VODKA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain.
• While the pasta is cooking, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic, shallots or onions and crushed red pepper in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until everything starts to sizzle and begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Stirring constantly, carefully pour in the tomato sauce (it will sizzle) until well combined with the other ingredients. Remove from the heat and add the vodka, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and continue to cook for 1 minute.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and stir to coat well. Let the pasta cook briefly in the sauce until it thickens a little more and clings nicely to the pasta. Stir in the Parmesan, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley if using. Serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

MARGHERITA PIZZA WITH VODKA TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F and arrange and a rack in the middle.
• Heat tomatoes, vodka, and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and vodka smell is cooked off, about 15 minutes. Season, as desired, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile roll pizza dough to a 12-inch round. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet to coat and place dough on top. Pierce the dough in several places to prevent it from bubbling up unevenly. Spread sauce evenly over the dough. Evenly distribute mozzarella across pizza and scatter whole basil on top. Drizzle with oil and bake until cheese is melted, and underside of dough is golden brown, about 20 minutes.