Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce (or make your own alcohol pasta sauce)

If my daughters had it their way, they'd probably request this pasta dish at least once a week. I don't make it that often for them, not because it is too hard to make or the ingredients difficult to procure - but more because I can't eat the dish (it has cream in it) and it tortures me to cook it and not be able to consume it. I can bear the pain of not eating it while it is in front of me about once every 3 weeks or so - not more often than that.

I do love this dish for its flexibility; the original recipe I used, Lidia Bastianich's recipe for "Penne Alla Vodka," calls for vodka, but I often (most always) don't have it handy lying around, so I substitute a white wine for the alcohol content. I realize that this makes my dish no longer Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce, but instead Pasta with Wine Cream Sauce, but that's fine with me. I think tequila would also do well as the alcohol portion, although I'll say that I've not tried it. Her original recipe is vegetarian but I often chop up pancetta or bacon in order to eliminate making a protein dish for the kids. The end result is a really satisfying, slightly creamy, delicious dish -that kids (and adults) love!

Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce (or White Wine Sauce)

Salt
One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with their liquid
1 pound penne (or your choice of pasta - not the long kind)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled, and sliced thinly
1/4 lb bacon or pancetta (optional)
Crushed hot red pepper (omit if you have kids eating it)
1/4 cup vodka (or your choice of alcohol - a white wine or tequila perhaps)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped basil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing if you like

Preparation

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor. Using quick on/off pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. (Longer processing will aerate the tomatoes, turning them pink.) you can also use a hand blender for this.

Stir the penne into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 1 minute. If you are using bacon or pancetta add it. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully — they will splatter — slide the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and generously with crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka (or your alcohol), lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Just before the pasta is done, pour in the cream. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the basil over the pasta and boil until the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta.

Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese if you like.

Printable recipe