Vodka sauce!

Congratulations Dominic and Anthony! The dish featured in Tuesday's post was rigatoni with vodka sauce. Alright, alright, that one was easy. I'll up the ante next week.

So, as promised, here's a wonderful vodka sauce recipe from Cooks.com. My family and I whipped this one up earlier this week and we all loved it. Serve it with a glass of pinot grigio and oh delizioso!

-Mike

Penne alla vodka with pancetta

1 1/2 c. plain tomato sauce
1/4 c. butter
1/4 lb. pancetta or bacon, cut into slices & diced
1/3 c. vodka
1/2 c. whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. macaroni such as penne or rigatoni
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in a large pan. When butter foams, add pancetta. Saute over medium heat until lightly colored. Add vodka and stir until evaporated. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and drain macaroni and place in skillet with sauce. Toss macaroni and sauce over medium heat until sauce coats macaroni 20 to 30 seconds. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese (and a glass of pinot).

Comments

[Dominic Orlando]

Thanks, Mike! Will certainly try the recipe!

I'm curious. How did Russian liquor end up in an Italian sauce recipe? Why wasn't grappa - the Italian hard liquor - used instead? What's the story?