Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Vodka Cream Pasta


I ate this so fast that I forgot to photograph it. Here's a food network image.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread for passing

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente. While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.


2 comments:

  1. Is this Rachel Ray recipe? B/c if it is then I love it - I used to make it as a standard "first time I cooked for a boy meal"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yep! It's Rachel. It's in her cookbook titled "Guy Food".

    ReplyDelete