Disco and the Politics of Pasta alla Vodka
- Pamela Marasco
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 23
Bologna in the 1970’s was a city of political and social unrest. Political tensions caused by right and left wing extremists became known as the “anni di piombo” – years of lead, a period of politically motivated upheaval, instability and radicalization. During this period political and culinary history were about to collide and combine with a new trend in Italian music influenced by club bands, songs and a spinning mirrored ball looking to break free from the political unrest of the ‘70s. Known as Italian Disco it was vibrant, electric, progressive, often escapist and became the soundtrack to the socio-political upheaval of the era.
In the mid-70's a Bolognese nightclub called Dante’s began to serve a tomato pasta sauce made with vodka and cream. Because it was a favorite of late-night party-goers the dish was nicknamed “Disco Pasta” and became very popular in Bologna making its way to Rome where it was called pasta alla vodka. The owner of Dante's attributes the dish to his squadra of chefs but does not take full credit for its invention although sources suggest otherwise. Together with the ice cream sundae, cobb salad and chicken alla king, the true origin of pasta alla vodka may never be known. The dish started to lose some of its popularity before the next decade began and is no longer commonly found on menus in Italy. Pasta alla vodka with its modern, vodka-infused pink sauce was considered to be out of character for traditional Italian cuisine yet it still remains an icon of its era.
The dish did resurface in America as penne alla vodka with many attributions including an Italian-born chef named Luigi Franzese at the Orsini Restaurant in New York City. Served with penne or rigatoni, this jammy pink sauce with a splash of vodka and cream is now commonly accepted as an Italian-American classic.
Want to take a trip back to the '70's in Bologna? Click here to play Italian Disco music from 1970 while making Disco Pasta.
Recipe for Pasta alla Vodka (Disco Pasta) from Bologna circa1970
Ingredients
1 lb penne, rigatoni or any ridged or tubular pasta
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp olive oil
1 cup of onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 cup vodka
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
salt
Method
Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet and saute onions 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute to infuse the flavor into the warm butter, oil and onions stirring occasionally about another minute being careful not to overcook or or burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste, stirring to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes to infuse mixture for a little kick of heat.
Deglaze the pan with the vodka then stir in the heavy cream using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan and allow to cook until the alcohol has burned off about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt if needed and bring to a low simmer.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta retaining about one ladle of pasta water. Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet and return to medium heat. Toss to coat adding retained pasta water as needed to bring the sauce together and simmer for 2-4 more minutes to thicken into a smooth sauce. Once the sauce is thickened, turn off the heat and toss with the cheese as desired. Serve with additional cheese on the side. Pasta waits for no man so serve immediately! 4-6 servings.
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