Penna Alla Vodka

All of the family loves when I make Penne Alla Vodka, all but one.  Rosie does not touch pasta.  When she was a child, pasta was the only thing she ate, with a little butter.  Now, forget it.  No pasta and no marinara sauce.   Anyway, my girl is away at college so it's time to fit some pasta meals into our menu.

The absolute key to making a delicious vodka sauce is to make a delicious marinara sauce first.  As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my favorite restaurant is Carmines at 90th and Broadway in NYC
(try their hot antipasti!!).  They have produced, to my extreme delight, a book of their recipes from which I conjure my marinara and vodka sauces...although I've made it so many times, I no longer need the book open; it just sits on the counter looking pretty.

THE FIRST STEP...make your marinara.

Carmine's Marinara Sauce

(Makes about 5 cups)

Three 26-28 oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (Carmines uses San Marzano, I used my own canned)

1/4 c Olive Oil

1/4 c coarsely chopped garlic (about 12 cloves)

12 fresh basic leaves sliced

2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Drain Tomatoes in a colander set in a large bowl for 5 minutes.  Reserve the tomato liquid.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook it, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until it is golden brown.  If the garlic starts to cool too quickly, reduce heat

3. Add the basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the mixture for 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, increase the heat to high, and cook them for about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon or long-handled fork to break them up, or until the tomatoes boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes break down

4. Add the reserved tomato liquid.  Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil.  Boil it for about 12 minutes or until it starts to thicken.  Stir it occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent the sauce from burning.



THE SECOND STEP...make your vodka sauce, using the marinara you made

Carmine's Penne Alla Vodka

1/4 c Olive Oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbls. coarsely chopped garlic
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 Tbls. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vodka
3 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 c grated romano cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper

1.  In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and reduce the heat to medium.  Cook the onions, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.  Do not let the garlic brown.

2.  Add the basil, parsley and red pepper flakes (to taste).  Cook the mixture, stirring for 30 seconds.

3.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the vodka.  Take care to stand back when adding the vodka, as the alcohol could flame.  Return the pan to the heat and cook the sauce for about 1 minute.

4.  Add the marinara and simmer it for 3 minutes.  Add the cream and bring the sauce to a boil.  Boil it for 3 minutes or until it thickens, stirring occasionally.  Cover it and keep it warm while cooking the pasta.

5.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne for 7 to 8 minutes or until it is al dente (a little firm)

6.  Drain the penne well and transfer it to a shallow bowl or platter.  Bring the sauce to a boil, stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese, and season it to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle the sauce over the pasta and serve it with the remaining grated cheese on the side.