Penne ala Vodka
I know this is actually fusilli lol
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage (mild or sweet sausage works too)
16 oz Gluten Free Pasta
2 tablespoons Butter (DF Sub: Duck Fat or Beef Tallow)
1 tablespoon Garlic Oil
2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper
6 oz Tomato Paste
4 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes
½ cup Vodka
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Bone Broth (OR Pasta Water)
½ cup Pasta Water
2-3 oz Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste
Garnish:
Fresh Basil (Sub: Parsley or Green Onion)
Cook with me!
Instructions:
Prep. Start by filling a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. While we’re waiting for the water to come up to temperature, slice the sausage on a diagonal. Layer 8-10 basil leaves on top of eachother, then roll up the leaves lengthwise (kinda like a sleeping bag) and thinly slice to produce basil ribbons.
Boil Pasta. Once the water has come up to a boil, add a generous amount of salt to the water and let it dissolve before adding the gluten free pasta. Short the cook time on the package directions to make sure your pasta comes out “al dente,” which has a firmer texture and is going to help ensure that our pasta won’t fall apart once it gets into the sauce. For example, the pasta that I used instructed to be cooked for 14-15 minutes. I ended up cooking mine for a little over 12 minutes. Once your pasta is cooked, but still slightly firm (al dente), SAVE 1 - 1 ½ cups of pasta water, then drain but DO NOT RINSE.
Sear Sausage. While your pasta is cooking, preheat a large stainless steel skillet over high heat, then add a tablespoon of butter and the sliced sausage flat side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes without stirring until a deep golden brown crust has formed. Flip sausage and repeat until the meat is cooked through, then remove from the pan and set aside.
If not using sausage: You can use ground beef, pork, turkey or chicken if you prefer, or if that’s what you happen to have on hand. Just add some fennel seeds and dried italian herbs like basil, rosemary, oregano, etc. You will also need to add a teaspoon of salt. Mix the salt and seasonings thoroughly into the meat, then flatten against the pan and do not disturb while it’s browning. Once a golden brown crust has formed, break up the meat to finish browning. Then remove from the pan and set aside.
Make sauce. Reduce heat to medium high and add tomato paste to the hot skillet along with a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Cook for a few minutes to caramelize the sugar in the tomato paste. After a few minutes the tomato paste will have darkened slightly and smell sweet.
Turn the heat back up to high and add half a cup of vodka to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan to help flavor the sauce. There will be a very strong alcohol smell at first, but it will dissipate as the alcohol cooks off. Make sure you cook off the alcohol entirely before moving on to the next step. While the alcohol is cooking off add another teaspoon of crushed red pepper and a tablespoon of garlic oil and stir well to combine.
Once your sauce no longer smells like booze, add one cup of bone broth (or reserved pasta water, if that’s what you’re using). Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes to bring it up to a simmer. Then, reduce heat to low and slowly stir in half a cup of heavy cream
Toss together. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss together with a couple splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen up the sauce a bit, make it nice and creamy, and until the desired consistency is achieved. Then stir in 2-3 ounces of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Lastly add back the cooked sausage along with about 4 ounces of sundried tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Taste for salt. I ended up adding half a teaspoon of salt to make the dish pop.
Serve. Dish up with an additional dusting of parmesan cheese, fresh basil ribbons, and a pinch of crushed red pepper if desired.
Enjoy!
NOTES:
Reheating Instructions: Add a splash of cream or water to your pasta, cover with a wet paper towel and heat it in the microwave first for 2-3 minutes until heated thoroughly. Don’t forget to garnish! This will make your pasta creamy and really gives your leftovers a fresh feel.
Mix it up! Try this method of pasta making with different noodle shapes, different meats, different spices, and even try substituting canned pumpkin for the tomato paste to come up with something new and delicious that you and your family will love!
Thank you guys so much for trying this recipe! I’d love to know what you think. Let me know in the comments! Don't forget to tag me if you post a pic, I love to see your cooking!!
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