Your Penne Alla Vodka Needs A Seafood Twist

When we lived in Brooklyn, we loved visiting Italian restaurants like Gino's in Bay Ridge and ordering delicious penne alla vodka, a pasta dish famous for its namesake spirit in the tomato sauce, and somewhat muddy origins. To us, it will always be a classic Italian-American dish. At Gino's, we were able to order chicken or shrimp to top the penne alla vodka. The seafood addition was delightful and it turns out that Charlotte Langley, Founder of Nice Cans and Langley Foods, agrees with us. Your penne alla vodka absolutely needs added seafood. She elaborated, "For a seafood twist, stir in some crab or lobster meat and top with fresh basil for an elegant, new flavor profile."

The resulting seafood penne alla vodka is full-bodied with rich yet balanced flavors. The pleasant acidity in creamy vodka sauce complements the natural sweetness of seafood (especially when you use crab or lobster, two of the sweetest seafood in our honest opinion), without overpowering or overwhelming. Fresh basil adds brightness and color while lifting the entire dish. Plus, adding seafood to the pasta increases the amount of protein in the dish, making it even more satisfying and satiating. 

Langley's tip is perfect when you have crab or lobster meat handy. If you don't, you can always change things up by adding different types of seafood.

For example, you can use different shellfish or fish. Try making a smoked salmon penne alla vodka. Let's say you've made our hot smoked salmon with salsa verde recipe this week and have leftovers. Gently mash the leftover salmon with a fork. Make your favorite penne alla vodka recipe and stir in the smoked salmon pieces. The fish will add flavor and protein to your lovely pasta dish. Salmon, being orangey-pink, will match the color of the vodka sauce perfectly. 

We've also seen people add fried seafood to their pasta dishes. A delicious fried seafood dish to pair with penne alla pasta is our panko fried shrimp recipe. Squirt fresh lemon juice over the fried shrimp before topping the pasta with said shrimp. If you're not into fried shrimp, fried fish or calamari would work too. For more ideas on how to add seafood twists to your next pasta dishes, be sure to check out our delicious shrimp pasta recipes. After enjoying seafood penne alla vodka, it's time to tackle our creamy Cajun shrimp pasta recipe.