Gnocchi Alla Vodka With Burrata
This gnocchi alla vodka is a twist on the classic tomato vodka pasta. Here fluffy potato gnocchi is served in a creamy tomato sauce & topped with rich burrata.
I’m a huge fan of gnocchi so serving it in a homemade tomato vodka sauce & topping with a creamy burrata was always going to be a winner! This is one of those dishes that looks impressive but is actually super easy to make. It comes together in no time at all & can even be made with shop bought gnocchi. But you can always make your own if you’d prefer!
If you’ve never had tomato vodka sauce before, it’s made like a regular tomato pasta sauce where you cook tomatoes with onion & garlic but it has a more intense tomato flavour & a creamy texture due to the 2 types of tomatoes that we’re using (a tin of plum tomatoes & a tube of paste) and the generous amount of double cream & parmesan that we add in at the end.
A good splash of vodka is added to the sauce as well, which intensifies the flavour from the tomatoes & helps emulsify the tomatoes & cream together, making the sauce even smoother. Although you can make this without alcohol if you’d prefer! It will still be just as good. You’ll normally see tomato vodka sauce served with pasta (normally penne, to make penne alla vodka) but it really does work with gnocchi. And as it takes less than 30 minutes to cook, it makes for a fantastic midweek meal.
Components Of This Dish
- Tomato Vodka Sauce – A rich & creamy tomato sauce that’s finished with double cream, vodka & parmesan cheese. There’s plenty of fresh garlic in the sauce as well & I like to throw in some fresh basil, for extra flavour.
- Potato Gnocchi – This recipe will work with either shop bought gnocchi or homemade potato gnocchi.
- Burrata – I topped each bowl of gnocchi with half a burrata, which is like mozzarella but is even creamier! Burrata has a solid mozzarella outside & a stracciatella filling (mozzarella curds & cream). Regular mozzarella or grated parmesan would be some other good alternatives. Burrata is best served at room temperature, so I’d recommend taking it out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving.
How To Make Tomato Vodka Sauce
Tomato vodka sauce packs a real punch of flavour! This rich tomato sauce is made with a good quality tin of tomatoes, a whole tube of tomato paste, plenty of garlic & a good amount of vodka. To get this sauce’s signature creamy finish, we stir in a generous amount of double cream & grated parmesan at the very end.
- Cook Onion In Oil & Butter
First, we place butter & olive oil into a large pan then melt over a medium heat. We add in diced or white onion & a pinch of salt then cook, stirring frequently until the onions are soft but haven’t taken on any colour. - Add In Garlic
We add sliced garlic & a pinch of chilli flakes to the onions then cook for another minute. - Caramelise Tomato Paste
Next, we stir a tube of tomato paste into the pan then cook for 3-4 minutes until it has thickened. This caramelises the tomato paste, intensifying the tomato flavour! - Add Tomatoes
Now we add a tin of plum tomatoes into the pan along with a teaspoon of caster sugar, 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar & some fresh basil stalks (we’ll be adding the leaves to the sauce later on). We crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, to break them up. - Cook Out Sauce
Next, we season the sauce with salt & pepper then cook out over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently until it has thickened. This will take 15-20 minutes. - Blend Smooth
Once cooked, we transfer the sauce to a jug blender then blend smooth. If you haven’t got a jug blender, a stick blender will work as well. - Stir In Vodka, Cream & Cheese
Now we give the saucepan a quick wipe clean, pour the sauce back in then set it over a low heat. Once warm, we stir in vodka followed by double cream & grated parmesan. We warm the sauce over a gentle heat to melt the cheese then give it a taste to check the seasoning. If needed, we can add in more salt & pepper before serving.
Gnocchi In Tomato Vodka Sauce
Once the tomato vodka sauce is ready, it’s just a case of adding in the cooked gnocchi & a splash of the gnocchi cooking water (if needed), stirring to coat then folding through some torn basil leaves. We add the basil in off the heat, so that the leaves wilt without turning mushy!
The key thing when making tomato vodka sauce is to cook it over a gentle heat once you add in the cream, vodka & cheese. This is to prevent it from splitting & to avoid cooking off all of the vodka’s flavour. This is why it’s best to cook the gnocchi when the sauce is almost done, as it only takes a couple of minutes & the sauce won’t overheat in the meantime. We want it to be nicely emulsified & thick enough to coat the gnocchi perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook gnocchi alla vodka on an Aga, cook the tomato vodka sauce on the simmering plate and the gnocchi on the boiling plate.
Yes, tomato vodka sauce can be made without vodka. To make the sauce alcohol free, you can skip the vodka entirely or use a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice instead.
A good quality tin of plum or San Marzano tomatoes works best for vodka tomato sauce. Chopped tomatoes will also work.
Leftover gnocchi alla vodka needs to be stored in the fridge & should be eaten within 2 days. To reheat leftover gnocchi alla vodka, add the sauce & gnocchi into a saucepan with a splash of water then cover with a lid & cook over a medium-low heat until piping hot.
More Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Chicken Parmesan With Spaghetti & Pesto
- Hot Maple Fried Chicken
- Reverse Seared Fillet Steak
- Foolproof Roast Chicken (Slow Roasted)
- Goose Fat Jacket Potatoes
- Black Garlic Hanger Steaks
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Gnocchi Alla Vodka With Burrata
Equipment
- Large Saucepans
- Blender
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
Tomato Vodka Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 40 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 Small White Onions (Diced – Or Use 1 Large Onion)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (Thinly Sliced)
- A Pinch Of Chilli Flakes
- 130 g Tomato Paste
- 400 g Tinned Plum Tomatoes
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tsp Caster Sugar
- 25 g Fresh Basil
To Finish
- 50 g Vodka
- 150 g Double Cream
- 60 g Parmesan (Grated)
To Serve
- 500 g Gnocchi (See Notes)
- 2 Burrata (At Room Temperature)
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Tomato Vodka Sauce
- Place the olive oil & butter into a large saucepan then set over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the diced onion & a pinch of salt then cook until soft but without any colour. This will take 15-20 minutes.Make sure to stir the onions regularly!
- Add the sliced garlic & chilli flakes to the onions then cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir the tomato paste into the onions then cook for 3-4 minutes until it has thickened. Make sure to stir the tomato paste almost constantly to prevent it catching.
- Once the tomato paste is thick, add the tin of tomatoes into the pan, along with the vinegar & sugar. Fill the empty tomato tin half full with water then add this in as well, using the water to rinse out the tin. Turn the heat down to medium-low & use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes.
- Next, pick the basil leaves from the stalks. Set the the leaves to one side & add the stalks into the sauce.
- Season the sauce with salt & pepper then cook, stirring frequently until thickened. This will take 15-20 minutes.
To Finish & Serve
- Once cooked, transfer the sauce into a jug blender then blend until smooth. Make sure to do this carefully as the sauce will be hot! Whilst your sauce is blending, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat.If you haven't got a jug blender, a stick blender will work as well.
- Give the saucepan a quick wipe, pour the sauce back in then set over a low heat. Then once warm, stir in the vodka, followed by the cream & parmesan. Warm the sauce through gently, stirring to melt the cheese.Don't let the sauce get too hot, as it could split.
- Whilst your sauce is warming through, add the gnocchi into the pan of boiling water then cook until it floats. This will only take a couple of minutes.Cook the gnocchi as soon as you add the cheese to the sauce.
- Once the gnocchi is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the pan of sauce. Stir, to coat the gnocchi in the sauce, adding in a splash of the gnocchi water if the sauce is a little thick.
- Give the sauce a taste to check the seasoning, adding in salt & pepper as needed then take the pan off the heat. Tear the basil leaves into the sauce, stir to gently wilt then spoon the gnocchi into 4 bowls.
- Cut the burratas in half then place a half on top of each portion of gnocchi. Season the cheese with salt & pepper then drizzle over a small amount of olive oil to finish.
