Vodka pizza, made with vodka sauce, is fast becoming popular among pizza lovers in New York who like exploring various flavors. Take your pizza experience to a new level.
Most vodka pizza sauces make the pizza less acidic and a little sweet than regular tomato pizza sauce, making it a preferred choice for people who discover the difference. The sauce used in vodka pizza has a deep-rooted tradition in Italian culture. Initially, the Italians used the vodka sauce to impress women with its palate-pleasing taste, but it soon became a staple for most Italian cuisines.
Do not confuse the vodka sauce for pizza with the traditional vodka sauce for pasta. Vodka sauce for pasta mainly uses tomato paste and cream. It also requires pasta water to give it the original pasta taste. If you use it on pizza, it may separate in the oven and become too greasy because of the high-fat content in the cream. Pizza vodka sauce must contain crushed tomatoes to help it stand-alone consistency even after adding cream.
How Does Vodka Pizza Taste?
Regardless of the name, your palate will not suffer the harshness of alcohol taste in your pizza. Vodka pizza has a hint of tanginess brought about by the alcohol content as it burns off during the cooking process. The vodka also helps to balance the pungent taste of onion and garlic and compliments the tomato and pepper taste. Lastly, the cream adds a luxurious and smooth feel, giving it a thick and rich texture.
Vodka pizza gets its delightful taste because the undiluted alcohol in vodka overpowers the natural flavors in the other ingredients. But the smaller traces that remain when the vodka burns off release new flavors. Hence, it’s not that the vodka succeeds in adding flavor to the pizza, but it unlocks flavors hidden in the other ingredients.
The secret is to add vodka to the sauce and slowly simmer it, leaving behind less than 5% of the alcohol content. At this level, it succeeds in helping the tomato, pepper, and herbs release their flavors. Here is a simple recipe for a vodka pizza sauce:
Step 1: Prepare or buy a 28-ounce can of crushed red tomatoes—dice one medium-sized onion and mince two garlic cloves. Saute the onions for 3–4mins, add the garlic and cook until golden brown.
Step2: Add ½ tsp of crushed pepper flakes and other herbs of your choice and cook for 30–40 secs. Next, add 3 ounces of vodka and cook for 2mins.
Step 3: Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 4: Add a cup of heavy cream and stir well. Taste it after 5 minutes and add salt, remembering there’s salt in the cheese and dough.
If you feel an overwhelming vodka taste in the sauce, it means you added it too late or too much of it. If this is the case, continue simmering the vodka sauce to reduce the alcohol content.
Does Vodka Pizza Have Alcohol?
Yes, vodka pizza has trace alcohol levels. The alcohol content in the traditional vodka pizza is so small because most of it evaporates during the cooking process. Some NY pizza restaurants make specially requested vodka pizzas with a stronger taste, but the alcohol content is still significantly low. You cannot get drunk from eating vodka pizza.
If you are extremely cautious with the kids and do not want to use vodka, you can add lemons or white vinegar to bring out the tanginess, similar to vodka. Still, it does not achieve the taste to a satisfactory level.
Other popular substitutes for vodka include gin, tequila, wine, white rum, whiskey, sake, and mezcal. You may fail to know the difference if used correctly and allow it to simmer well to eliminate the harsh alcoholic taste in them.
Best Vodka Pizza NYC
Are you looking to taste an irresistible vodka pizza made with authentic vodka sauce? Simply place an order from the best pizza West Village joint, Made in New York Pizza. Our menu offers pizza lovers an array of toppings and flavor options to give you a soul-satisfying pizza experience. We use the freshest ingredients and stay true to the original Italian touch of making pizza. Order with us today.