An “absolutely amazing” pasta alla vodka

With ricotta!

View in browser|nytimes.com September 21, 2024 Eric Kim's ricotta pasta alla vodka. James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. An 'absolutely amazing' pasta alla vodka (with ricotta) By Mia Leimkuhler Every time I'm tempted to mount my high horse and declare that I don't need a recipe, I remind myself of the time I tried to make pasta alla vodka without any guidance. (You can probably guess where this is going.) I didn't cook the sauce long enough, nor did I add enough cream to balance the vodka, and ended up with something like a warm Bloody Mary poured over pasta. It was certainly very boozy, but it wasn't very delicious. I really could have used Eric Kim's recipe for ricotta pasta alla vodka, a glossy, creamy, spicy pasta dinner that comes together in less than an hour. Inspired by the version once served at Caffe Falai in the NoLIta section of Manhattan (the restaurant is now closed), Eric adds happy dollops of cool ricotta, creating a nice flavor and temperature contrast with the hot pasta. I never would have thought of adding ricotta; now I can't imagine the dish without it. Recipes — they're clever that way. Featured Recipe Ricotta Pasta Alla Vodka View Recipe → In theory, I don't really need a recipe to make a smoked mackerel, lettuce and tomato sandwich, but it wouldn't have occurred to me to spread butter on one piece of bread and mayonnaise on the other for that perfect combination of salty, tangy creaminess. That's pure Ham El-Waylly genius. I'm also grateful for Kay Chun's recipe for pernil-style roasted chicken thighs, which allows me to get the ratio of orange and lime juices, garlic, oregano and onion powder just right. Same goes for this shrimp and corn chowder from Vivian Chan-Tam, which nails the balance of smoky bacon, sweet corn and just enough milk and flour to give the whole thing some body. Happy Oktoberfest! Should you need some festive dishes to pair with your German lager, we have a collection of Oktoberfest recipes right here. Might I suggest these sheet-pan sausages and brussels sprouts with honey mustard, or our best currywurst? And finally, two recipes I follow to the letter: these beautiful, plush milk bread pull-apart rolls from Naz Deravian, and Becky Hughes's vegan Caesar salad with crisp chickpeas. The rolls because I will never be brave (foolish?) enough to try to make bread without kind, helpful instruction, and the salad because I have yet to find a more delicious Caesar dressing, vegan or no. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Smoked Mackerel, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich  By Ham El-Waylly 10 minutes  Makes 1 sandwich   Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Pernil-Style Roasted Chicken Thighs By Kay Chun 1 1/4 hours Makes 4 servings Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards. Shrimp and Corn Chowder By Vivian Chan-Tam About 1 hour  Makes 4 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Sheet-Pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts With Honey Mustard By Ali Slagle 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times Currywurst Recipe from Alfons Schuhbeck Adapted by Alexa Weibel 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Vegan Caesar Salad With Crisp Chickpeas By Becky Hughes 25 minutes Makes 2 to 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Milk Bread Pull-Apart Rolls By Naz Deravian About 3 hours 10 minutes, plus 1 1/4 hours' cooling Makes 8 rolls Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018