Move over pasta alla vodka, there’s a new booze-infused cult Italian treat in town – Limoncello Fettucine.

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Sorrentine Peninsula and the coast of Amalfi. It is made by soaking lemon zests in neutral grain alcohol for a month or more.

Sydney’s first Limoncello pasta dish is the creation of ex-Tetsuya chef Nicole Bampton at Leichhardt’s Capriccio Osteria.

The dish combines freshly made fettuccine with seared scallops, mascarpone, bottarga, lemon juice and the star ingredient, Limoncello liqueur, which is also made in-house.

Capriccio Osteria has already garnered accolades from celebrity guests, with actress Drew Barrymore discovering the restaurant through recommendations and dining there in 2019.

“It’s the Italian tradition to use fresh high-quality ingredients for our hand-made dishes, and we want to keep that strong tradition through this new dish that we’re bringing to Sydney,” said restaurant owner Michele Rispoli.

Vodka pasta sauce has been a viral favourite among social media users since the model Gigi Hadid posted a how-to video to her Instagram stories in 2020 that went viral.

Its success inspired Pernod Ricard to partner with Heinz in the UK to release limited-edition jars of Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce earlier this year.

The Absolut Company brand creative director Tad Greenough said: “With any partnership, we start with the consumer first – what’s in it for them, and why would they care? We knew there was incredible demand for Penne alla Vodka – partly fuelled by the social media hype when a celebrity shared the recipe online. We then thought we could bring the best of two worlds together – the best tomatoes and the best vodka. Now that would be something. Pronto, Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce.”

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