Gambero Rosso is confounded by Disco Sauce: The True Story of Penne Alla Vodka

Looks like the cat isn’t just outta the bag, but has hopped a flight to Italy. Gambero Rosso, one of the most prestigeous culinary journals (one I remember my parents coveting during my youth) has caught wind of the pazzo penne alla vodka from a New York Times Article, and our documentary “Disco Sauce” that asks the big question … why?

“The exact origin of the creamy vodka sauce is uncertain, but its historical imprint is bold, spicy and ubiquitous. Especially overseas. The recipe gained popularity in the 70s and 80s but the all-American passion for the tradition of the Italian table runs deep and brings back to the fore recipes that are often looked down upon at home.”

Looks While alla vodka no doubt has it’s haters, it’s nice to see that author Eleanor Baldwin from Gambero Rosso finds “Disco Sauce” tasty. Here is a little excerpt:

“Another contribution to the return of penne alla vodka is the award-winning documentary by filmmaker Roberto Serrini , the son of Italian immigrants in Queens entitled "Disco Sauce: The Unbelievable True Story of Penne Alla Vodka." The documentary produced on a $250,000 budget released in 2022 explores theories about the origin of the dish, from Ugo Tognazzi to Italian immigrants in the United States, and the chefs who have celebrated the dish as a metaphor for society as a whole. "Penne Alla Vodka is America's 'dirty little secret'," says Serrini."Eat them hungover from takeaway, or pay them $32 a plate at Carbone in South Village Manhattan. I decided to take a deep dive into what is lovingly called 'disco sauce' to discover the dish's secret powers who like no other polarizes the culinary world." To recreate the ultimate vodka penne, the filmmaker interviewed celebrity chefs, scouted New York's best underground markets, even had the sauce analyzed by scientists, and even sourced illegal ingredients like a Brooklyn-made artisanal vodka called "American Moonshine." . And then the cream, which goes beyond Tognazzi's recipe but which is the fundamental pillar of the overseas recipe.says Serrini in the short, "while fresh cream from raw milk is illegal, I had to turn to the dark web to get a pint." At the end of the documentary, the filmmaker thanks Tognazzi, quoting a passage from the actor's book: "Eat, no. I eat to live." And this, he concludes, is the meaning of life.”

Looks Super fun to see it get out there into the wind and captivate a whole new set of eyes. Go check out the article yourself here: https://www.gamberorosso.it/notizie/il-ritorno-delle-penne-alla-vodka-dagli-anni-80-non-ce-scampo/ - Ive included a translation in English below the article.

The return of penne to vodka, since the 80s there is no escape 

15 Aug 2023, 09:57| edited by Eleanor Baldwin



THE NEW YORK TIMES DEDICATES AN ARTICLE TO PENNE ALLA VODKA, AND A DOCUMENTARY EXPLORES ITS EVOLUTION, CONFIRMING THE CHARM OF THE DISH WHICH, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, CONTINUES TO BE TALKED ABOUT.

"What makes Penne Alla Vodka so delicious? It's all in the sauce," headlines the New York Times. Then, a playful documentary recounts their origins and anecdotes starting from their consumption when one went out at night from the discos of the 70s. The recipe became an icon of the fashionable cuisine of the time. Having fallen into oblivion, with a touch of snobbery, penne alla vodka have gone out of fashion and forgotten in their homeland. But not in America, where they're making a big comeback.

The exact origin of the creamy vodka sauce is uncertain, but its historical imprint is bold, spicy and ubiquitous. Especially overseas. The recipe gained popularity in the 70s and 80s but the all-American passion for the tradition of the Italian table runs deep and brings back to the fore recipes that are often looked down upon at home.

The origins of penne with vodka

Some argue that the birthplace of the dish as we know it now (tomato sauce, cream and vodka) was the Dante restaurant in Bologna in the 1980s. Others say it's the Orsini restaurant in New York. But one of the first written accounts of vodka added to spicy tomato pasta is in Ugo Tognazzi 's cookbook and memoir , L'Abbuffonepublished in 1974. A versatile actor and skilled cook, For years Tognazzi hosted convivial dinners in his villa in Velletri, welcoming relatives, work colleagues and friends, whom he entertained with the flair of a gastronome and great host. For his evenings, now legendary, he drew liberally from the huge refrigerator towering over the kitchen, considered the "family chapel". In addition to his passion for cooking and for the convivial table, the book was born as a diary of the experience on the set of Marco Ferreri's film "La grande binge" interpreted together with Michel Piccoli, Marcello Mastroianni and Philippe Noiret. The volume alternates memories of youth, happy and sad anecdotes from the set, and recipes. One of these, the "pasta all'infuriata",

The documentary about penne alla vodka

Another contribution to the return of penne alla vodka is the award-winning documentary by filmmaker Roberto Serrini , the son of Italian immigrants in Queens entitled "Disco Sauce: The Unbelievable True Story of Penne Alla Vodka." The documentary produced on a $250,000 budget released in 2022 explores theories about the origin of the dish, from Ugo Tognazzi to Italian immigrants in the United States, and the chefs who have celebrated the dish as a metaphor for society as a whole. "Penne Alla Vodka is America's 'dirty little secret'," says Serrini."Eat them hungover from takeaway, or pay them $32 a plate at Carbone in South Village Manhattan. I decided to take a deep dive into what is lovingly called 'disco sauce' to discover the dish's secret powers who like no other polarizes the culinary world." To recreate the ultimate vodka penne, the filmmaker interviewed celebrity chefs, scouted New York's best underground markets, even had the sauce analyzed by scientists, and even sourced illegal ingredients like a Brooklyn-made artisanal vodka called "American Moonshine." . And then the cream, which goes beyond Tognazzi's recipe but which is the fundamental pillar of the overseas recipe.says Serrini in the short, "while fresh cream from raw milk is illegal, I had to turn to the dark web to get a pint." At the end of the documentary, the filmmaker thanks Tognazzi, quoting a passage from the actor's book: "Eat, no. I eat to live." And this, he concludes, is the meaning of life.