Hello!
I hope you’re all enjoying the festive season as we approach the end of the year. This week, I’m sharing Sunday’s recipe a little early so you can perfectly plan your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Thinking about what to cook for New Year’s Eve can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! This menu is designed to be both impressive and incredibly manageable, proving that you absolutely can cook a fantastic meal without spending the entire day in the kitchen – letting you actually enjoy the holiday.
Last week, many of you cooked the salmon tempura crunch bowls for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and it was wonderful to see! It’s an honor to be part of your holiday meals.
And now, I want to help you create a memorable New Year’s Eve dinner! Whether you’re planning a cozy night in sweatpants or a dressed-up gathering with friends, this menu, featuring a delightful pasta alla vodka and a classic Caesar salad, is the perfect way to welcome 2024.
Pasta alla vodka is truly magical because it’s quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet feels special enough for a celebratory evening. Paired with a Caesar salad, it becomes a crowd-pleasing combination that’s sure to impress.
I recently cooked this exact meal for my family on Christmas Eve. On its own, it’s a wonderful, simple dinner party option. But, elevate it with a nicely set table and a few well-chosen appetizers, and you have an unexpectedly fabulous and fun New Year’s Eve dinner party menu! This approach proves you can create a sophisticated and enjoyable New Year’s Eve feast without the stress often associated with holiday cooking.
The Perfect NYE Menu + Tips for Easy Execution
A few friends and I are hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner party this Saturday, and we’re making this exact menu. To make it even easier, my friend has hired a TaskRabbit to help with the cleanup – which honestly, might be the most exciting part! This is key to enjoying your New Year’s Eve – you can host and relax!
Cocktails
(No specific cocktail recipe mentioned in the original article – this section is intentionally kept brief as per original structure)
Appetizers
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Mini Crab Cakes
- A friend is bringing these, but I highly recommend this recipe from Ina Garten – just make them bite-sized!
- Make-Ahead Tip: Crab cakes can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat on a baking sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Cream Cheese with Pepper Jelly
- I’m excited to introduce my Californian friends to this classic Southern treat. Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature, then spread it thinly on a small plate. Top with pepper jelly and serve with your favorite crisp crackers. It’s a simple yet delightful appetizer.
- Make-Ahead Tip: You can assemble this up to 24 hours in advance and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
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Cheeseboard
- Perfect for New Year’s Eve because it’s designed for grazing throughout the evening!
- My ideal cheeseboard includes: 3 meats, 3 cheeses, 3 fruits, 2 salty items, 2 sweet spreads, and 1 savory spread.
- More specifically? Salami, prosciutto, soppressata. Blue cheese, brie, aged cheddar. Sliced persimmons, sliced apples, grapes. Olives and cornichons. Honey and fig jam. A good mustard. Pre-slice the hard cheeses – it encourages guests to help themselves! This is another element that proves you can effortlessly host.
Image alt text: Overhead shot of a New Year’s Eve cheeseboard featuring various cheeses, meats, fruits, crackers, and spreads, arranged artfully on a wooden board.
The Main Event
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Kale Caesar Salad (recipe follows)
- Make-Ahead Tip: Caesar dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Kale and romaine can be chopped 24 hours ahead and stored in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Croutons can be made 24 hours in advance and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Easier Option: Buy pre-chopped romaine and a good store-bought Caesar dressing to save even more time. Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy Caesar with Roasted Garlic is a great store-bought option. However, I highly recommend making the homemade croutons – they add a special touch. This shows you can balance homemade goodness with convenience.
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Pasta Alla Vodka (recipe follows)
- Make-Ahead Tip: The vodka sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance, or even 72 hours! Simply reheat it in a large pot over medium heat, then stir in the cooked pasta and pasta cooking water.
- Cook the pasta just before serving! Leave it in a colander (don’t rinse!), and then toss it into the warmed sauce with the reserved pasta water. It might look clumped, but it will separate as it warms in the sauce. This make-ahead strategy ensures you can manage your time effectively on New Year’s Eve.
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Grilled Flank Steak with Creamy Pesto
- I can’t believe I haven’t shared my creamy pesto recipe publicly before! Use this recipe for the base, but reduce the olive oil to 2 tablespoons and add 1/2 cup of sour cream instead of 1/2 cup of EVOO. It’s incredibly delicious. A proper recipe is coming soon!
- Make-Ahead Tip: Steak can be seasoned up to 24 hours in advance. For ultimate ease, grill the steak in advance, slice it, arrange it on a platter, refrigerate, and then serve it at room temperature an hour before dinner! Room temperature food is your friend for stress-free hosting. This demonstrates that you can prepare elements in advance for less stress. Pesto can be made up to 48 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Dessert
(No specific dessert recipe mentioned in the original article – this section is intentionally kept brief as per original structure)
A Parmesan Tip
I’ve shared this tip on Instagram before, but it’s worth repeating. Both the Caesar salad and pasta alla vodka recipes use Parmesan (buy the good stuff – Parmigiano Reggiano). Buying an 8-ounce block and grating it yourself is much better than pre-grated.
Grating Parmesan can be tedious! Instead, cut off the rind (save it for soups like Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup – Parm rinds add great flavor!), break the cheese into chunks, and blend it until finely grated in a blender!
Yes, you can grate Parmesan in your blender! This is a great kitchen hack proving you can simplify even seemingly tedious tasks.
Last Year’s NYE Menu
Was also fantastic! If short ribs and confetti cake sound more your style, check out last year’s menu.
Image alt text: Collage image featuring photos of short ribs and confetti cake, representing the previous year’s New Year’s Eve menu suggestions.
Kale Caesar with Crispy Chewy Croutons
Serves 4-6
Cook time: 20 minutes
Tools:
(Tools list as in original article)
Ingredients:
(Ingredients list as in original article)
Instructions:
(Instructions as in original article, maintaining formatting and bolding)
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss 4 slices of cubed bread, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and a big pinch of garlic powder. Spread into an even layer and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp on the edges but still chewy in the center.
Blend the entire 8-ounce block of Parmesan cheese until finely grated. To do so, cut the rind off (save the rind in the freezer for future cooking), cut it into a few chunks, and blend until it’s grated into a powdery consistency. Once grated, transfer all but 1/4 cup of the Parm into a bowl for later use.
To make the dressing, blend everything up except the lettuces (1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 small smashed garlic cloves, 6 anchovy fillets, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper). Use 6 anchovies at first — blend in up to 2 more if you want more anchovy flavor.
Put the chopped greens (2 hearts of romaine lettuce and 1 bunch lacinato kale) and the baked croutons in a large bowl and drizzle nearly all of the dressing over it. Use your hands to mix everything together, making sure each and every piece of lettuce is coated with dressing. After tossing, sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan on top.
Enjoy!
Image alt text: Close-up shot of a vibrant Kale Caesar salad in a white bowl, showcasing the crispy croutons, kale, romaine, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Pasta Alla Vodka
Serves 4 to 6
Cook time: 30 minutes
Tools:
(Tools list as in original article)
Ingredients:
(Ingredients list as in original article)
Instructions:
(Instructions as in original article, maintaining formatting and bolding)
Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of kosher salt in the water is my general rule of thumb!) to a boil and cook 1 pound of tubular pasta until al dente (read the box to find your pasta’s ideal cook time!). **RESERVE 2 CUPS OF THE COOKING LIQUID BEFORE YOU DRAIN THE PASTA!! I’M YELLING AT YOU BECAUSE EVERYONE ALWAYS FORGETS TO DO THIS AND IT’S VERY IMPORTANT!** Once you’ve reserved 2 cups cooking liquid, drain the pasta and set aside (don’t rinse it! It’s fine if it looks like it’s clumping together!).
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Cook 1 minced shallot, 4 minced garlic cloves and a big pinch of salt until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in 6 ounces tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and continue cooking until the paste and shallots have combined into a nice chunky paste, and it is turning a nice deep red color, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup vodka and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1 big pinch of salt until smooth. You might need to use a whisk to get any clumps out. Stir in the cooked pasta and a small amount of pasta cooking liquid. Add more cooking liquid a splash at a time as needed for the sauce to be very thick and cling to each noodle perfectly (I usually use between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup). Taste and season with kosher salt as needed.
Serve and garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil and more grated Parmesan.
Notes:
(Notes section as in original article, maintaining formatting and bolding)
- Make ahead: To make the sauce ahead of time (up to 72 hours), you can go ahead and do everything except for adding the pasta cooking water. When it’s dinner time, reheat the sauce over medium heat, cook your pasta, and stir in the pasta cooking water then the cooked pasta. See more prep-ahead notes in the “main event” section of my NYE menu above!
- Stock your freezer: This vodka sauce freezes beautifully. Double the recipe and freeze half for later! Let it cool completely (but don’t leave it out for more than 4 hours, since it’s cream-based), then put it in a Ziploc bag or freezable container and store it in the freezer for 3-6 months. When you’re ready to cook it, you can put the frozen sauce in the fridge to thaw overnight, then stir it in a large pot over medium heat to rewarm. Stir in the pasta and pasta cooking water and enjoy! If you forgot or are pressed for time, you can also just throw the frozen sauce in a large pot with a splash of water, cover, and cook on medium until it’s warm, whisking occasionally. Caesar dressing won’t freeze well, FYI, so plan to use any extra in the coming week. If it thickens too much in the fridge, just stir splashes of warm water in until it’s back to a drizzly consistency.
- Cooking for one or two: Make the entire batch of sauce and freeze half! Cook only 8 ounces of pasta, drain, then return it to the pot you cooked it in. Add about half of the sauce to the pot with several tablespoons of pasta cooking water, until it’s clinging to each piece of pasta and is as saucy as you want it. For the salad, simply halve the recipe.
- Vegetarian: Use 3 tablespoons of capers instead of anchovies in the Caesar dressing.
- Dairy-free: Use your favorite vegan Parm throughout both recipes. For the pasta, opt for plant-based butter. You could also swap in coconut cream, soy milk, or almond milk for the heavy cream.
- Gluten-free: Find a gluten-free bread you love for the croutons! And any gluten-free noodle alternative (like Banza chickpea noodles) would be delish with this vodka sauce.
- Must have meat: Grilled chicken or shrimp would be excellent mixed into your pasta alla vodka. Or, like we’re doing on NYE, serve the pasta and salad alongside whatever meat entrée you’d like. See the NYE menu section above for ideas!
- Don’t want a side salad: If you’re cooking this on a weeknight and want a veggie but not a whole side salad, throw some sautéed asparagus and/or mushrooms into the pasta alla vodka.
Substitutions:
(Substitutions section as in original article, maintaining formatting and bolding)
- Bread: You can seriously use any bread you have for these croutons! But using a really good sourdough makes them extra special.
- EVOO: Olive oil or a neutral-tasting vegetable oil like canola, safflower, and sunflower
- Garlic powder: Onion powder, garlic salt, or omit
- Parmesan cheese: Remember, you’re looking for Parmigiano Reggiano. Sub options include Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano.
- Mayonnaise: Traditional Caesar dressings use egg yolks and oil. Guess what those two ingredients create when blended together? MAYO! So I use mayo as a shortcut and to ensure that your dressing doesn’t “break.” So I really do recommend using mayo here. Plain yogurt will also work, but it won’t be as good!
- Lemon juice: You can just use all red wine vinegar. Or any light-colored vinegar like white wine vinegar wine or apple cider vinegar
- Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Garlic cloves: For the dressing: 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 frozen garlic cubes. For the pasta sauce, use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 frozen cubes.
- Anchovies: 3 tablespoons capers (1 teaspoon per anchovy) or 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Romaine lettuce: Green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, bagged Italian lettuce, or an extra bunch of kale
- Lacinato kale: An extra romaine lettuce heart
- Pasta: Tubular noodles like Paccheri (my fave!), penne, fusilli, or rigatoni are ideal because the sauce fills the noodles, adding so much flavor to each bite. That said, any noodle you’ve got in your pantry will be delicious with this sauce!
- Unsalted butter: Salted butter, but season with salt sparingly at the end. Olive oil, EVOO, or another oil would also work in place of the butter.
- Shallot: 1/2 a yellow or white onion
- Tomato paste: A 28-ounce can of tomato sauce, tomato purée, or diced tomatoes. If you use purée or diced tomatoes, cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, before adding the heavy cream
- Crushed red pepper flakes: 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Vodka: 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or another light-colored vinegar)
- Heavy cream: Whole milk, half-and-half, or see the “dairy-free” note above for more options
- Fresh basil: Fresh parsley or omit if needed!
Kale Caesar + Pasta Alla Vodka
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Editor: Molly RamseyPhotographer: Anna Routh Barzin
