Penne alla vodka

I always go big on garlic.  ALWAYS.

OMG, OMG YOU GUYS!

First off, you need to know that Little Italy in NYC ruined my life.  It gave me ridiculously high expectations for standards in Italian food.  (Much like France ruined me for sub-par crepes and macarons.)  Once, during San Gennaro, I ate penne alla vodka at a small restaurant there, and it. was. heavenly.  Since then, I've tried fruitlessly to make it at home, even trying multiple store-bought sauces when from-scratch attempts failed.  No success.

And then, perusing my pal Lacey's blog, I happened upon a recipe she made on '09.  I figured I'd give it a go...  and now I'm in trouble.  In trouble because it may be the only thing I ever eat again!

It's creamy, garlicky, and delish.  The recipe is straightforward and a great weeknight meal.  If you're a penne alla vodka fan, you've got to try it... your waistline won't thank you, but your dinner guests will!

This recipe will feed you for days.  Seriously, I have a Pyrex container full of leftovers!  Next time, I will probably cook less pasta, and per Lacey's advice, freeze the sauce for future meals.

AMAZING.

Penne alla Vodka (from Lacey's friend's recipe!)

Ingredients:
-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
-4-6 cloves of garlic, minced (I always use a TON!)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less... depends on if you like the kick)
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
-2 tablespoons vodka
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-fresh basil (as much or as little as you want)
-1 tablespoon butter (optional, but highly recommended)
-1 box of penne rigate

Directions:
1. In a large pot, boil salted water and cook penne about 10-12 minutes.
2. In large, deep saute pan, heat olive oil on medium.
3. Saute garlic until soft, do NOT burn! If you burn it, throw it out, clean your pan and start over.
4. Add tomatoes and red pepper, cook down about 15 minutes.
5. Add parsley and vodka, cook alcohol out–about five minutes.
6. Add cream and basil, turn down heat.
7. Finish with a tablespoon of butter to make the sauce silky smooth. This step is optional, but well, I’ve never met a dish that wasn’t better with butter.
8. Toss in pasta, top with parmesan and serve!


P.S.  I cannot WAIT to get my DSLR next month and start taking better photos of this kind of thing.  The iPhone just doesn't do it justice.