Pasta alla vodka

Melt the unsalted butter in a pan, then add the diced onion, minced garlic and a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes.

Add a sprinkle of salt and saute about 15 minutes until the onions soften.

Add the tomato paste, then the whole peeled tomatoes, and simmer about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.

Blend the whole pot with the Parmigiano Reggiano in a high speed blender until smooth and vibrant, then salt to taste.

For the raw tests, weigh 100 gram samples and shake vodka through each to 1, 2, 3 and 4 percent alcohol by volume against a control with none, without cooking.

For the cooked tests, combine each 100 gram sauce sample with 100 grams of cooked pasta in a pan over 200F and simmer six minutes, then cap it immediately so no more alcohol evaporates.

Taste at about 115 to 120F, where the flavours read fully.

If a sauce still tastes bitter from the alcohol, keep cooking it down.

Variation: with mezcal, dial the amount back by half, because the smokiness masks the other flavours at 2 percent.

Variation: make it with gin instead of vodka, for piney, herbal and floral notes.