Vodka Sauce!

And I'm back! Things got a bit busy for me...and then basically I just got lazy, so no posts for the last few months. But now that its summer, the time of year when I do most of my cooking, I've got a few tasty treats that need to be shared! First, I made a new Penne ala Vodka the other day and it was amazing. Now I've made this dish more times than I can remember, and with a ton of different recipes, but I think this one might take the cake. Sometimes less is more! The other little detail is that you actually dissolve the tomato paste in the vodka, creating this liquidy mixture before mixing it with the cream. The consistency is just right. The sauce perfectly coats the pasta without overwhelming it, a pet peeve of mine (listen up Italian restaurants, pasta is more than just a sauce conduit!)

Penne Ala Vodka

4 tbsp butter

1 c heavy cream

1/3 c + 2 tbsp vodka

1/4 c tomato paste

2 tbsp fresh basil, slivered

salt
1 lb penne

Melt the butter with the cream

Combine the vodka and the tomato paste

Add the tomato mixture to the cream

Add the basil and salt to taste

Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened
Combine with penne and serve!