The dish was once considered a side dish by many, but in recent years it has been placed as a entree item. The sauce is a tomato based sauce with cream incorporated in at the end which gives it a very light orange color.
The first time I had this dish made for me was in college. A friend of mine wanted to pay me back for a dinner I had made him and decided that he could get a meal and a night of drinking all for the cost of one bottle. This was the best worst idea he had had since we started drinking before cooking. Well he learned one very important rule of cooking with alcohol, "Heat Plus Alcohol, Makes Fire". He had about a month of penciling on his eyebrows to make sure that he learned his lesson.
Penne alla Vodka
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup vodka
1 1/4 cups strained tomatoes
1/2 cup light cream
4 1/2 cups medium size penne
12 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add in the garlic and onions, and saute until it just begins to brown. Remove the pan from the heat, and slowly add the vodka (Warning: the heat may still cause the vodka to ignite so you do not want to have it to close to your person). When the vodka stops boiling, return the pan to the heat and stir in the strained tomatoes. Season the mixture lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Process the sauce in a food processor, or use and immersion blender to make the sauce smooth.
Stir the penne into the boiling water. Cook the pasta until tender, stirring occasionally to make sure that the pasta does not stick together. Reserve half the cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Return the penne to the pot and pour the vodka sauce over the noodles. Add in the basil and parmesan and serve with the mozzarella sprinkled over top.
Serves 4
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