Spicy Penne alla Vodka

Description

After Wirrick’s returned from our family trip to Italy in 2018, I went down a rabbit hole of fresh pasta recipes. This is one of my favorites courtesy of The Pasta Queen (@the_pastaqueen) • Instagram
Easy throw together meal, and you can add eggplant, shrimp or chicken for a main dish.

Ingredients

• Penne Pasta
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 Red Onion minced
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp Vodka
• 1/2 C Heavy Cream
• 1 Tsp Chili Flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp Butter 
• 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan
• Salt to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• Reserved Pasta Water!! - this is KEY
• Basil

Directions

Sauce

1. Heat pan on stove over medium high heat
2. Add 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil enough to coat the bottom of your pot + extra (Italians do not skimp on the olive oil)
3. Add 1/2 large finely diced red onion and sautée until translucent
4. Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and sautée until fragrant (do not burn as this turns the garlic bitter)
5. Add 1 heaping Tbsp of tomato paste
6. Add 1 tsp vodka and cook off alcohol (it should not sting your nostrils when you breathe in over the pot)
7. Lower the temp to medium and add 1/2 C heavy cream
8. Add 1 tsp red chili flakes - more or less depending on your spicy tolerance
9. Add pinch of flakey salt to taste
10. Add pinch of black pepper to taste
11. Turn off heat

Pasta

Cook the pasta according to directions and don’t forget to salt your water
Drain and mix in butter & 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Add to the pasta sauce
Add reserved (salted) pasta water a little at at time until it thickens the sauce without watering it down, it should look creamy (you can add more parmesan if too watery)
Add your protein of choice if you wish
Serve with a sprig of fresh basil

Notes

Enjoy with a crisp Pinot Grigio

Source

Jennifer Wirrick