Richard Periut wrote:
> Recently I tasted a vodka sauce recipe from a local Italian Ma & Pa
> place. The place is very good; byob, quick service, and the best Italian
> food in the area.
>
> I ordered a Penne a la Vodka as a side dish, and found it quite good.
> However, my questions a
>
> 1 Vodka is pretty much tasteless, so what does it give the dish?
> <snip>

As other people have said, tomatoes contain a few compounds that are
alcohol-soluble. Adding alcohol to a tomato-based sauce will release
those flavor compounds into the sauce. Vodka is commonly used because,
while not completely tasteless, has a fairly neutral flavor. Other
sauces might use white wine. I would avoid red wines as they often are
too complex to just add to a recipe that is already fairly well
balanced, especially if the sauce will be reduced further.

You should try it yourself. When I first heard that tomatoes have
alcohol-soluble flavors, I made a fairly simple tomato sauce and split
it in half when it was done. I added a shot of vodka to one and let
them both continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. I could definitely
taste the difference, and it was not vodka I was tasting. The sauce
just seemed to have a wider range of flavors.

- Adam

--
Adam Fineman

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