Italian
Silvia’s Masterclass
From
Silvia’s Masterclass
season
2
episode
4
The Viral Vodka Pasta!
With
Silvia Colloca
SERVES
4
Ingredients
2 French shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of Monini Classico Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of dry chilli flakes
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
150 ml of vodka
salt and pepper for seasoning
150 gr of Floridia Mascarpone
400 gr of San Remo Penne or any pasta you like
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add in your pasta, and stir well.
Whilst the pasta cooks make the sauce, as it comes together that fast. Heat up the oil in a large heavy based pan, add the shallots, chillies and tomato paste with a pinch of salt and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the shallots have softened then add the vodka. Because of the alcohol content it may flame up, this is to be expected, just be careful and move the pan around for 10-20 seconds until the alcohol evaporates and the flames die down. Add half a lade of pasta cooking water and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
In the meantime, the pasta should be al dente. Drain, reserving a little pasta cooking water and drop into the vodka sauce, mix well, and add a little reserved pasta water as needed. Turn off the heat, dollop in the mascarpone, mix and serve.
Watch
Silvia Colloca
make this recipe
Silvia Colloca
Silvia Colloca is an Italian-born food writer, opera singer, TV producer and host. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Silvia’s Cucina, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, Love, Laugh, Bake!, Simple Italian (2024), and The Italian Homecook (2025), all published by Penguin.
Silvia’s most recent television work is Silvia’s Italian Masterclass (Channel 10), with its latest season airing in October 2025. The series is currently funding for Season 4. She has also appeared as a special guest on SBS’s Mastermind in 2025. Her earlier TV credits include the SBS Food series Cook Like an Italian, which has screened internationally across three seasons, as well as Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca (SBS), filmed on location in the Le Marche and Abruzzo regions and earning her a 2015 TV WEEK Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent. She also co-wrote, co-produced and hosted the ABC prime-time series Silvia’s Italian Table in 2016.
Outside of food and television, Silvia has enjoyed a career as a celebrated opera singer and actress. In 2022, she released her debut solo classical album with Universal Music, which topped the Classical Charts for over 20 weeks. That same year, she performed with Andrea Bocelli at his Sydney concert, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inspiration Starts Here
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