Sometimes we spike the sauce
The secret ingredient for a perfect vodka sauce + new(er) shows with inspiring Italian scenery to watch this winter + a breathtaking panoramic terrace in Rome.
Pasta alla vodka
I will tell you a secret - just don’t judge us. Every once in a while, we spike the tomato sauce.
I mean, what’s better draped over pasta perfectly al dente than a tangy, velvety vodka sauce? Our friends and family tell us that no vodka sauce is as intoxicatingly delicious as ours, and we believe them.
There are a few keys to an outstanding vodka sauce:
Onions and pancetta sautéed in butter.
The mild sweetness of cream juxtaposed with the heat of crushed red pepper.
A perfectly smooth tomato sauce.
But, the secret ingredient that makes our vodka sauce special is (drumroll, please)…brandy!
Credit goes to our sister-in-law, Valentina, for the tip on adding brandy to the vodka sauce. We’re not sure why, but it makes the difference between a good vodka sauce and a great one.
It feels a bit risqué, tossing booze into the sauce (pasta sauce risqué??). There is functionality behind the fashion, however. Tomatoes have alcohol-soluble flavor compounds. This means that while the sauce simmers, the vodka and brandy tease these intense flavors out of the tomatoes. The alcohol cooks off in the process, leaving just a hint of boozy undertones.
So, go ahead and add some hooch to your tomato sauce from time to time – it’s sure to raise your spirits.
View and download our recipe for Pasta alla Vodka over on our website, Due Spaghetti.
What We’re Watching
5 new(er) shows and movies with fantastic Italian scenery.
This is the time of year that we are looking for something new to watch - a film or series to pass the time during the dark and cold winter months. Bonus points if it’s set in Italy.
We all know and have probably seen the classics - Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, The Godfather, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Angels and Demons, Eat, Pray, Love…great films with stunning cinematography. But if you are like us, you’ve seen them all - maybe more than once.
So, whether you are looking for inspiration to plan your next trip to Italy or just need a winter escape, here’s a fresh list of shows and movies set in Italy, and our thoughts on each.
Medici. Set in 15th-century Florence, this three-season Netflix series follows the rise of the powerful Medici family during the Italian Renaissance. Historically accurate (mostly) but embellished for entertainment, the storyline is interesting, and the characters are engaging. What kept us watching, though, was the dreamy scenography.
Suburra: Blood on Rome. Another Netflix series, Suburra is based on a book by the same name about real-life events involving a network of corruption in the Italian capital. The drama, which plays out over three seasons, depicts the dealings of local crime gangs, corrupt politicians, and Vatican officials in a fight to control beachfront property development in nearby Ostia. Though more violent than we prefer, the series drew us in for the Romanity of its characters and the scenes shot in some of Rome’s most captivating locations.
The Equalizer 3. The third and final installment of The Equalizer trilogy, the movie features Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, an ex-Marine and DIA agent who finds himself fighting the local crime bosses in a small, southern Italian city fictitiously named Altamonte. The movie was actually shot in the picturesque village of Atrani, on the Amalfi Coast. Despite the violence and reductive plot (American hero beats up the bad guys and saves the locals), Denzel Washington is one of our favorite actors, and the setting was beautiful.
From Scratch. This feel-good romantic drama tells the story of an American art history student who meets and falls in love with an Italian chef. Set in Florence and Sicily, the eight-episode series is based on the memoir, “From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home,” by Tembi Locke and stars Zoe Saldaña as the American Amy Wheeler and Eugenio Mastrandrea as the Italian Lino Ortolano. The show pushes our threshold for cheesiness, but the beautiful scenery lands it a place on our watch list.
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. This one probably needs no introduction - Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci travels across Italy, meets with restauranteurs, chefs, and even home cooks, and documents it all for his TV audience. CNN produced two seasons of the show before canceling it, to the disappointment of many. Fortunately, National Geographic TV recently announced they’d picked up the show. Rebranded, “Tucci – the Heart of Italy,” production begins in January 2024. Despite the occasional odd choice of food or venue, the program is entertaining, and we appreciate the attention Tucci gives to the regional culinary differences across Italy.
Destinations
The Panoramic Terrace at Rome’s Altar of the Fatherland
Rome is full of fantastic spots with amazing views, but we came across a new one on our recent trip - the rooftop terrace of the Altare della Patria, or Altar of the Fatherland, a massive monument honoring King Vittorio Emanuele II and resting place of Italy's Unknown Soldier, killed during World War I.
Not a favorite among locals, who refer to the monument as the Vittoriano, or less affectionately as the “wedding cake” or the “typewriter,” we’d never considered visiting it until we heard about the recently opened rooftop.
After a slow climb up all the steps to the monument’s entrance, we purchased a ticket to the Museum of the Risorgimento with its exhibit on the Unification of Italy, and to the outdoor terrace, which wraps around the back of the monument and offers views from above of the Roman Forum the Colosseum.
After enjoying an aperitivo from the bar and waving off the pigeons who were eyeing our potato chips, we took the glass elevator up even higher yet - 70 meters above ground - to the panoramic viewing deck and enjoyed breathtaking views of the city below.
The Montalcino House
Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter and an update on our efforts to get our Montalcino house under contract!