Highly Rated Penne Alla Vodka

This recipe was taken from America's Test Kitchen's Best-Ever Recipes with slight modifications. It has become a family favorite and is easy to make. I suggest using Smirnoff Vodka and whole tomatoes without any additional seasonings to avoid unnecessary sugar/salt. For those of you with allergies, I personally use lactose-free whipping cream and Tru Roots ancient grains penne to make it lactose-free and gluten-free. Baked chicken is a great addition to complete the meal!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes (drained and liquid reserved)
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup onion (minced)
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 2  garlic cloves (minced)
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup vodka
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1  lb penne
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 2  tablespoons fresh basil (minced)
• 2 -4  chicken breasts (optional)

Directions

1. Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth (about 20 seconds).
2. Chop the remaining tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding the cores. Combined the pureed and diced tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup (about 1 2/3 cups). Add the reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.
3. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is almost al dente.
4. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is light golden around the edges (about 3 minutes).
5. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
6. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vodka.
7. Return the saucepan to medium heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the alcohol flavor has cooked off (8-10 minutes).
8. Stir in the cream and cook until hot (about 1 minute).
9. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the past, and return it to the pot.
10. Stir in the sauce and toss to combine. Cook over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce (about 1-2 minutes). You can thin the sauce with the reserved pasta cooking water if needed.
11. Stir in the basil and serve. Pass grated Parmesan cheese separately for extra flavour!
12. Slice and add baked chicken on top (optional).