The Italian Twist That Lifts Mac And Cheese Beyond The Same Old Dish - Tasting Table

"Tomato, pasta, and cheese are a classic trio, so the idea of adding a vodka sauce to the mac and cheese shouldn't be that jarring. Vodka sauce in particular enhances a pasta dish because the alcohol helps release aroma and flavor compounds in the tomato. The alcohol works on a similar principle to deglazing a pan with red wine or incorporating bourbon into a sauce."

"Incorporating vodka sauce into mac and cheese isn't difficult. It works best in a baked mac and cheese that you make from scratch. As you're making your roux, add tomato paste and vodka before incorporating the cheese. You want to caramelize your tomato paste and let the color deepen. Then you can use a bit of vodka to deglaze the pan, making sure the alcohol boils off before finishing your cheese sauce as normal."

Americans eat macaroni and cheese about 22 times per year, totaling roughly 7.5 billion servings nationwide. Adding vodka sauce melds tomato, pasta, and cheese by using alcohol to release aroma and flavor compounds from tomatoes. Vodka acts as an emulsifier that enhances creaminess, smoothness, and richness while leaving little alcohol flavor. Best results come from baked, from-scratch mac and cheese: caramelize tomato paste in the roux, add vodka to deglaze and allow the alcohol to boil off, then incorporate cheese and bake the casserole. Boxed macaroni or jarred sauce yields less rich flavor.

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