Penne Pasta with Tomato-Cream Vodka Sauce

Our family calls this recipe penne pasta with vodka sauce, but it's commonly known as penne alla vodka. The recipe below is loosely based on a recipe my mother tore from a fancy cooking magazine claiming to be THE recipe used at a specialty trattoria in Florence, Italy. 

Like many of the recipes on this blog, we've changed the way we make it over the years and now it's our family's style. Below is officially our family's style of penne pasta with vodka sauce.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt, a pinch
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1- 28oz. can peeled Italian plum tomatoes in juice, chopped coarsely (Cento San Marzano are great); mostly drained
• 1 pound dried penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons vodka
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2- 14 oz smoked sausage, such as polska kielbasa, sliced and sauteed

Directions

1. In an unheated skilled or sauce pot large enough to hold the pasta later on, combine the oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat with oil. Note: read step 5 below before moving forward.
2. Cook over moderate heat just until the garlic turns golden but does not brown (2-3 minutes).
3. Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes to the pot. Add basil. Stir to blend. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
4. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and red pepper flakes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the water and the pasta, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook as directed on box, erring on the side of al dente. Drain but do not rinse.
6. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce. Toss. Add the vodka and toss again
7. Add the cream and toss. If adding smoked sausage or other meat, toss in at this point. Let pot sit for 2 minutes while the pasta absorbs the sauce.
8. Serve immediately. If reheating be sure to add a splash of cream after it is hot as reheating can dry out the pasta a bit.

Yield: 6-8 servings