Spaghetti alla vodka

Sometimes all you want in life is sauce and pasta. This sauce is something special; creamy and cheesy and indulgent. The penne has ridges to help the sauce cling to it better, so every delicious pasta morsel is enrobed by a thick coat of orange red sauce.

Tomato passata is a tomato puree that has been passed through a food mill to remove any seeds or skin remaining. It helps make this sauce super smooth. Add in vodka, heavy cream and my two favorite hard cheeses and you have a flavor explosion. This is a weeknight dish that feels like a weekend treat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

4 slices of bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large sweet onion, diced

pinch red pepper flakes

12 ounces box tomato passata

1/2 cup vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup pecorino romano and parmigiana reggiano cheese

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and onion and saute over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the vodka and cook until the alcohol has reduced by 3/4. Add the tomato passata and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and cheeses and cook on a simmer until the sauce reduces into your desired consistency, about 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook to package instructions.

Toss in the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve!

Comments

Peek-a-boo Squares

My grandma, Mimi, taught me this recipe. I used to make this with her and my mother as a child. It is my very favorite dessert. It is incredibly easy to make, and even easier to eat. My favorite part of making this as a child was dusting every bar generously with snowy white powdered sugar. My favorite version of this dessert uses canned blueberry pie filling; I vastly prefer Libby brand over the store brand. You can make blueberry pie filling from scratch with sugar, cornstarch, bleberries, etc. but using the canned stuff is easy in a pinch and is much for nostalgic for me. Plus, I don’t notice a vast improvement over my homemade blueberry pie filling and the Libby brand; it just takes me longer to put this dessert together. I have been known to whip up a pan of these Friday night and have them disappear by Saturday afternoon. Be warned, these things are addictive! Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 2 cups of granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 ...

Samosas with Yogurt Sauce

I love exploring many kinds of cuisine in my kitchen because I can control the spice level, and in the case of this recipe, the use of cilantro. Cilantro lovers out there- sub it info the parsley here. I have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, which limits my ability to enjoy some dishes in restaurants, but is easily rectified in my own kitchen. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 3 russet potatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons curry powder 5 ounces peas Six 8 inch flour tortillas 4 ounces Greek yogurt Oil, salt, pepper, vinegar 4 tablespoons butter Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Place in a large saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high; uncover and cook until tenderDrain potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add chopped garl...

Deluxe BLT- with avocado, Emmental cheese, and asiago bread

I don't normally feature sandwiches on this blog, but I simply cannot ignore this one. It's too good! The method is dead simple, but perhaps I can include a tip or two you may not have thought of to elevate your BLT to the next level! Ingredients: Bacon, best quality but thinly sliced Tomatoes (ideally fresh from your garden) Romaine lettuce Mayo Emmental cheese Asiago bread salt, pepper, butter Method: In a large sheet pan with a wire rack, lay your bacon out. In a preheated 400 degree F oven, bake for 15 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Slice your tomatoes and salt and pepper them. The salt is non-negotiable despite the saltiness from the bacon- the salt brings the flavor out of the tomato. Do not skip! Slice avocados. Rip lettuce to desired sizes for bread. Freshly slice bread and butter one side. In a large pan over medium high head, toast the buttered side of each bread slice. Lay a slice of Emmental cheese on one of the bread slices, and allow to melt. Time to con...

Watership Down Kitchen

Search This Blog