Penne Alla Vodka

Ingredients

• 1 Box of Penne pasta
• Olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• A few cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 6oz can of tomato paste
• 1 28oz can of tomato puree
• Heavy cream
• A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• A handful of fresh basil sliced (optional)
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Steps

1. Cook your pasta according to the box. Save pasta water.
2. Add enough oil to a skillet to thinly coat the bottom and heat to medium heat. Add your onions and cook until soft and translucent.
3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds more.
4. Add vodka and cook until it's reduced by about 1/3.
5. Add tomato paste and stir until it mixes with the vodka and becomes smooth. Tomato paste can be pretty sticky and clumpy, I find a whisk works best for this.
6. Add tomato puree and red pepper flakes. Give everything a quick mix and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add heavy cream and stir. You want the sauce to be a nice pinkish orange color, I usually add between half a cup and a full cup. Let cook for a few minutes until its heated through and thickened to your your desired thickness.
8. Optional step: if you are using parmesan cheese, if you find that the sauce is not thickening to where you want it, add some parmesan cheese directly into the sauce, stir well, and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes. Usually about 1/4 cup of cheese will do it, but adjust according to your taste. Alternatively if your sauce is too thick, add some pasta water to thin it out.
9. Turn off heat and add basil if you are using. Salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve sauce over pasta. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.