Penne a la Vodka

This is a favorite go-to recipe of mine. It's super easy, but tastes amazing, so your dinner guests will think that you are a kitchen master (or at least that's what I like to think mine believe...).

What you will need (serves 4):

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 2 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon dried basil, or 3 to 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions for cooking:

Pour olive oil into a large saucepan and heat on medium-low. Sauté diced onions until they are clear in color, then add in minced garlic and heat for 2-3 minutes. Add vodka and raise heat to medium-high, cook for 5 minutes. While the onions and garlic are cooking in the vodka, begin to boil a pot of water for the penne pasta. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. 

Lower heat to medium and add tomato sauce, cook for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Then lower heat to medium-low, stir in basil and red pepper flakes, and let the sauce mixture heat for 10-15 minutes to allow it to thicken, stirring occasionally. 

Drain pasta and stir into sauce mixture, or serve sauce over pasta. Serve with Pepperidge Farm Five Cheese garlic bread. Enjoy!