We talk a lot about all the different uses of spirits in your drinks — but what about in your food as well? There are a few classic recipes which call for raiding the spirits cabinet, like the iconic vodka pasta sauce recipe which uses vodka to help improve both the flavor and the texture of a tomato sauce.
Last year, kitchen brand Heinz and vodka behemoth Absolut teamed up to created a jarred vodka tomato sauce which took the internet by storm, selling out almost immediately. Now the quirky creation is returning to the shelves thanks to an ongoing collaboration between the two brands.
“As the top-selling Heinz product and number-one-selling pasta sauce at the time of launch, we knew pasta lovers were as obsessed with it as we were,” said Caio Fontenele, head of growth at Kraft Heinz.
“After receiving countless messages from fans all over the world asking how they could get their hands on a jar, we knew we couldn’t ignore it. Now, everybody can have the ultimate pasta alla vodka experience with the iconic combination of Heinz’s high-quality tomatoes and Absolut’s premium vodka.”
The jarred sauce uses Absolut vodka in its production, but during the cooking process most of the alcohol gets boiled off — so don’t expect to get a buzz from your pasta. But the cooking down does help to lock in flavors of tomato and basil, and to emulsify the sauce into something thick and rich.
You can pick up a jar of Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce from Waitroise in the UK right now, with further availability at other retailers to follow.
