Sauté the tomato paste in butter and olive oil for 2-3 minutes before adding broth to deepen its flavor and eliminate the raw, acidic taste that can dominate the sauce.

Add the dry pastina directly to the simmering sauce rather than cooking it separately—this allows the tiny pasta to absorb the vodka-tomato flavors while releasing its starch to naturally thicken and enrich the sauce.

Simmer the vodka for 3-5 minutes after adding it to cook off the alcohol while preserving its complex flavor compounds that make the sauce distinctly creamy and sophisticated.

Add heavy cream at the very end off heat or on low heat to prevent it from breaking or curdling—temper it by whisking in a few spoonfuls of the hot sauce first before pouring in the rest.

Whisk in cold butter cubes just before serving to create an emulsified, velvety sauce and add a silky mouthfeel that transforms the dish from good to restaurant-quality.