When making vodka cream sauce for pasta, how important is the vodka?

Question

Will leaving out the vodka make a considerable difference in the taste?

Answer 1

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely diced onion
1/2 cup diced smoked salmon
2 fluid ounces vodka
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/8 tablespoon cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan saute butter and onion with smoked salmon. Once the pan begins to lightly smoke, pull saucepan away from heat source and add the Vodka.
When the Vodka has burned off, return the sauce to heat source and mix in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and heavy cream.
Season sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chile pepper. Reduce sauce to desired consistency; serve.

Answer 2

It's not. Vodka is what's known as a neutral spirit. A neutral spirit by definition lacks flavor components
Some would argue that the taste of alcohol is part of the flavor profile but on the quality standards check list of any food cooked with alcohol , the taste of raw alcohol is almost never a desirable taste characteristic.
The only remaining use for alcohol then is it's action as a solvent to extract the flavors of the aromatics and the recipe contains few if any aromatics.
I personally believe that it is a waste of an expensive ingredient

Answer 3

I make this often, and though I have never tried it without the vodka, I am thinking it would make a considerable difference in not only tase, but cooking time and method....therefore making only 'cream pasta' which may not be bad, but not quite the same taste :)

Answer 4

I tried a vodka cream sauce with a cheap vodka and it was awful.. I tried it again with Absolut and it was SO much better. The vodka is what pulls the flavors together. If you don't use vodka, you just have cream sauce....

Answer 5

it is a waste of good expensive booze, why not use white wine instead