Vodka Cream Pasta

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

One of my favorite things to do when I'm not working is to cook. I'm not a huge meat eater, so most of the recipes I will share with you will be meat-free. One of my favorite comfort foods is Vodka Cream Pasta! I love that this recipe makes a ton of sauce, which is perfect to dip a flaky piece of bread in.

Vodka Cream Pasta

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of butter
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-3 shallots, minced
-1 cup of vodka
-1 cup of chicken stock
-1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
-1 small can of tomato paste
-16 ounces of penne rigate
-1/2 cup of heavy cream
-15 leaves of basil
-Course salt and pepper
-grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
-One baguette (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 5 minutes. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, for about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 of a cup of chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring sauce to a light boil and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.If you like a thinner sauce, add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock. If you like a thicker sauce, discard the remaining chicken stock.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir cream and basil into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Place a serving of pasta and a serving of sauce into a frying pan over medium-low heat. Toss the pasta and sauce together and continuously mix until the sauce gets thick, about 3 minutes. This will cause the sauce to stick to the pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Very Truly Yours,