This miso chili crisp alla vodka is a riff off my mom’s famous vodka sauce recipe, but with a fun East Asian twist! The flavor has all the familiarity of the vodka sauces we all know and love, but the addition of white miso and chili crisp really make it something special. The warm spice and savoriness these ingredients add is great for warming you up on a chilly fall/winter night, and light enough to be eaten in the warmer months.
Melt your butter in a wide saute pan over medium/medium low heat, then add your chili crisp and let sizzle for a minute or two.
Remove your pan from the heat and add your vodka, then return to heat and simmer until reduced by half and the alcohol smell is gone.
Add your white miso paste and whisk till fully incorporated, then add your tomato sauce and heavy cream, taste for seasoning and bring back to a simmer.
Toss in your pasta of choice, cooked just under al dente. Don’t forget to save some of your (well seasoned) pasta water! You can use it to thin out the sauce here. Let the pasta cook another minute or so longer until it’s reached al dente.
Serve with freshly grated parm and some basil if you’d like and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure you wait till the end to check for seasoning, ideally right before you add your pasta. The miso is very salty (chili crisp has some salt in it too), so I didn’t have to add any extra salt to mine!Make this recipe vegan by using plant-based butter, cream and cheese (if using).Salt your pasta water! It should taste like the ocean. 🙂
I'm a big eater, a huge fan of pasta (and mac n cheese), and I'm on a mission to prove that indulgence and balance can exist well together without silly restrictions or dieting. Life's too short to eat bad food!
