Cookinghow Penne Alla Vodka
By: Cookinghow
Published: Monday, September 27, 2010 - 4:23pm

Ingredients




2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon piment d’Espelette or crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 cup vodka
28 ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes (See the Guide)
 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 pound penne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1 In a large heavy-bottomed French or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and gently saute for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant and translucent. Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown. Add the piment d’Espelette or red pepper flakes, if using. 2 Pour in the vodka and let reduce by half, another 3-5 minutes. 3 Add in the tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, stirring often to break up the tomatoes, until sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. 4 Meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, salt the water and cook penne until just under al dente, about 9 minutes and then drain in a colander. 5 While the pasta cooks, stir cream into the thickened tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. 6 Add the drained pasta to the tomato sauce and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the pasta; continue to stir and reduce if needed. 7 Turn off the heat and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta and toss to coat evenly. 8 Just before serving, thinly slice or tear up the basil leaves. Divide pasta among 4 serving platters. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano and basil.