Penne ala Vodka. The Comfort Food Superstar.
Penne ala Vodka.
Delicious. How can you go wrong?
Booze….. Cheese…Butter…
Come on people…this is comfort food calling you.
Penne ala Vodka.
Not the most authentic Italian in the kitchen…but neither am I.
As a kid growing up in the 80’s in NY, I ate dinner at many “real” Italian households.
You know the one’s I mean.
… Plastic covers on the furniture.
… Dean Martin music blasting from the portable radio outside on the patio.
… The Blessed Virgin statue on the front lawn.
… Jugs of homemade wine in the kitchen.
and red sauce ( Sunday gravy) or marinara on the stove.
None of this fancy stuff with Russian booze.
Let’s face it..
It was a trendy food during the decade of decadence.
You had your caviar… your steak tartare … Quiche Lorraine … and move over spaghetti and meat balls …
There’s a new kid in town…and he’s a mutt.
Enter, Penne ala vodka.
When I make this dish I am also reliving a memory from childhood with each slurp of the vodka…I mean, with each stir of the spoon and at the same time I am also creating new memories with my family.
My little one loves to help out in the kitchen. Not where it really counts, by doing the dishes, but by helping me prepare the meal.
( only kidding about that last sarcastic snippet.)
He loves to mix, sample, smell and critique.
I have a little food critic by my side as I create in the kitchen and I couldn’t be happier.
It’s still snowing in New York and this meal hits the spot.
You need a nice and simple comfort food that is going to put a warm feeling in your belly and a smile on your face.
Go ahead, grab a glass of vino, I’ll meet you in the kitchen.
“è il momento di cucinare”
Oh yeah… please let me know what you think and don’t forget to Spread the Love!
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psst…. the recipe is below.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion. finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1⁄4 cup vodka
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 3⁄4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- In a large pasta size pot, melt the butter.
- Stir in the onion and the garlic and cook until golden brown.
- Gently fold in the proscuitto and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the add the tomatoes, black pepper, crushed red pepper and stir.
- Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, constantly stirring and cooking for 2 minutes
- Pull pan off of the heat source and keep away from people, curtains or anything as the flame could go high.
- Pour in the vodka let the alcohol burn off, about 4 minutes.
- Your pasta should be cooked to al dente and drain it well.
- Pour the pasta into the pot with the vodka sauce, stir until it is nicely coated, stir in parsley and grated cheese.
- Pour onto a large serving platter or into individual dishes.
- Serve it!
- **** URGENT****
- Before you add your vodka, make sure that you turn off the heat and pull the pan away from the stove.
- Sometimes to finish the sauce, I like to add a pat of butter and swirl it in.
- As if there wasn't enough fat in this heart clogger.
Joanne
January 27, 2016
This looks really nice. I grew up in an Italian household and my mother’s recipe was very close to this. Thank you for making some great meals and providing some fun commentary.
Ed
February 8, 2016
Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it.
Lemone
February 6, 2016
I love pasta with personality and wish one day to see a restaurant run by a food blogger like yourself. They have the most attention to detail and are really all about the food.
Ed
February 8, 2016
Thanks Lemone. It’s a simple, yet classic dish. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Hope
March 25, 2018
Looks so yummy!