Penne A La Vodka.- A rich flavorful sauce that's worth the effort!!

 

What can I say about Penne with Vodka Sauce? That it's creamy, flavorful and delicious? You bet! Yes, it takes a while but it cooks in the oven so you don't need to be at the stove all the time and baking in the oven develops the flavors incredibly!!

Who doesn't need a great recipe for pasta? It's always great to have in your repertoire and will impress the pasta lovers in your family because it's wonderful...

To make this dish you will need:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

3 - 5 Garlic Cloves, diced

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 1/2 tsp Oregano, dried

1 cup Vodka

2 28oz Cans of Whole Plum Tomatoes, peeled

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Penne Pasta

4 Tbls Oregano, fresh

3/4 to 1 Cup Heavy Cream

Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

PROCEDURE:

1-  Preheat oven to 375 F

2-  Over medium heat, use an oven proof pan, add some olive oil and then the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until transparent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for another minute more. Add the Vodka and continue to cook until the Mixture is reduced by half.

3-  In the meantime, drain the tomatoes through a colander and add the to the pot while you break them up with your hands. Add 2 tsp of salt and some black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. After, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

4-  Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. When the pasta is done, set aside 1 cup of the pasta water in case it's needed, and drain the pasta and reserve.

5-  Now, in batches, put the tomato mixture in the blender or use an immersion blender to make the sauce very smooth. Return to the pan.

6-  Now reheat the sauce to a simmer, add 2 Tbls of the fresh Oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce creamy, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.

7-  Now add the pasta to the sauce and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more, mix in well. Stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese and blend.

8-  To serve, put an additional bit of Parmesan Cheese and some of the fresh Oregano as a  on each serving. Enjoy!!

NOTE: You could also add protein to this dish if you like, could be Chicken / Beef / Salmon, etc.