HIGHLY RATED PENNE ALLA VODKA

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Highly Rated Penne Alla Vodka image

This recipe was taken from America's Test Kitchen's Best-Ever Recipes with slight modifications. It has become a family favorite and is easy to make. I suggest using Smirnoff Vodka and whole tomatoes without any additional seasonings to avoid unnecessary sugar/salt. For those of you with allergies, I personally use lactose-free whipping cream and Tru Roots ancient grains penne to make it lactose-free and gluten-free. Baked chicken is a great addition to complete the meal!

Provided by amanda.nagy

Categories     Vegetable

Time 30m

Yield 4 , 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes (drained and liquid reserved)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onion (minced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb penne
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil (minced)
2 -4 chicken breasts (optional)

Steps:

  • Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth (about 20 seconds).
  • Chop the remaining tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding the cores. Combined the pureed and diced tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup (about 1 2/3 cups). Add the reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.
  • Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is almost al dente.
  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is light golden around the edges (about 3 minutes).
  • Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  • Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vodka.
  • Return the saucepan to medium heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the alcohol flavor has cooked off (8-10 minutes).
  • Stir in the cream and cook until hot (about 1 minute).
  • Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the past, and return it to the pot.
  • Stir in the sauce and toss to combine. Cook over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce (about 1-2 minutes). You can thin the sauce with the reserved pasta cooking water if needed.
  • Stir in the basil and serve. Pass grated Parmesan cheese separately for extra flavour!
  • Slice and add baked chicken on top (optional).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 680.5, Fat 20.6, SaturatedFat 8.2, Cholesterol 40.8, Sodium 2093.1, Carbohydrate 101.4, Fiber 15.5, Sugar 6.6, Protein 11.4

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