I’ll never tell xoxo… is what you can say to your loved ones and friends when they ask you what makes this spicy vodka sauce SO DAMN GOOD. But I’m letting you in on the secret of using Chinese XO sauce to add insane depth of flavor, heat, and extra umami to your vodka sauce while also perfectly complementing the sweet, tender lobster meat in this heart-shaped pasta. It’s literally made for Valentine’s Day, all the way down to the xo’s. 💋
What the heck is XO sauce?
XO sauce is NOT named after the hugs and kisses acronym or Gossip Girl’s signature sign off though. This premium sauce originated in Hong Kong, with “XO” being a way of denoting something of high quality (like “XO” or “extra old” cognac as is a term in HK). This sauce has no cognac though, and is instead made from premium ingredients like dried scallop (conpoy), dried shrimp and aged Chinese ham (like Jinhua ham), plus chilis, garlic, and shallot. It all combines into a meaty sauce with deep seafood flavors and umami that can transform even plain noodles or boring vegetables, both of which are typical preparations in HK.
Why add XO sauce to vodka sauce?
We’re adding XO sauce to a classic vodka sauce to really intensify the flavors. Tomato naturally has umami, and vodka sauce just tastes so much better when its spicy (hello, Carbone spicy vodka rigatoni). I also have a recipe in the cookbook that uses Italian n’duja for the spicy, meaty component, so instead we’re using XO sauce to add the spicy, meaty flavor but with the deep, complex seafood flavor bonus.
Where can I find XO sauce?
Your best bet is to look for XO sauce at your local Asian supermarket, but you can also find it online from Lee Kum Kee (my fave global Hong Kong-based sauce company) and other brands. Those of you in Hong Kong can find it at any shop, fishing village, and many Cantonese restaurants – I used a jar of the house XO sauce from Legacy House, the fine dining restaurant at the Rosewood Hong Kong. There are also recipes online for making homemade XO sauce, which would be worth it if you want to make a huge batch to use in this vodka sauce or on vegetables, noodles, dumplings, eggs, and more.
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What can I use instead of XO sauce?
If you don’t like fishy flavors AT ALL (like fish sauce, anchovies, shrimp paste), I would just opt out of using the XO sauce since it definitely has a bit of that flavor. But I think most of you following me are adventurous enough to really love it as much as I do, as the flavors meld together so the final taste is not fishy.
All that being said, you could definitely try swapping the XO sauce for any of the aforementioned ingredients since they will all have that umami we’re looking for, but I would start with smaller amounts. I haven’t tested how salty or fishy they will make the sauce since none of these have the ham to provide the meaty flavor that XO sauce does. If you do try any of these, sound of in the comments with how it turned out!
Where do I find heart shaped pasta?
To really make this as festive as possible for Valentine’s Day, you can use a heart-shaped pasta. I found this one from Pastificio La Colle at City S’uper, a gourmet supermarket chain in Hong Kong, but there are some similar pastas on Amazon. I’ve also seen people post stories of heart-shaped pasta at Trader Joe’s if you want to try your luck in-store!
This spicy vodka pasta with lobster and XO sauce is sure to please your significant other, friends, family, or anyone else you want to show some love. Give it a try and tag me so I can see how it goes. Happy Valentine’s Day!
XO sauce adds spice and deep, complex umami to traditional vodka sauce, served with heart shaped pasta and loaded with lobster for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner xoxo
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pasta like heart-shaped pasta, farfalle, or rigatoni
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-4 tbsp XO sauce
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/2-1 cup heavy cream (depending on how creamy you want the sauce)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2-2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 5 oz cooked lobster meat
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of well salted, boiling water until a minute before al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, then add the shallot. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste mixture for 3-4 minutes, then add the XO sauce and cook the tomato mixture for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is brick red.
- Then, add the vodka to deglaze the pan, using the liquid to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom and cooking until the alcohol smell has gone.
- Add the cream to the sauce along with the butter and half of the Parmigiano, and add salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta, lobster and basil leaves to the sauce and cook over medium-low heat, stirring while shaking the pan to emulsify the sauce and adding pasta water as needed to get your desired sauce consistency.
- Serve immediately with more grate Parmigiano if desired and enjoy.
