Sarasota's Quick & Easy Vodka Cream Sauce

A simple quick sauce. Serve this as is over your favorite pasta; or add shrimp, chicken, sausage, or your favorite vegetables. Garnish with some fresh grated parmesan for a very simple quick dinner. And if you don't keep a large bottle of vodka on hand, pick up one of those little bottles (I call them, airline or hotel bottles), it is the perfect amount for 1 serving of this sauce. One can of diced Italian style (flavor) tomatoes, but you can also used crushed if you want a creamier type of sauce vs. the diced tomatoes - ten minutes and on the table. I prefer Vermicelli or Angel Hair, but you can use your favorite pasta.

• Ready In: 12 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can  diced Italian tomatoes (if you prefer a creamier style of sauce, you can use a crushed tomato vs. canned)
• 1⁄3-1⁄2 cup heavy cream (depending on how creamy you like the sauce)
• 1⁄8 cup vodka (a little more or less depending on taste, it doesn't have to be exact)
• 1  large shallot, fine minced (2 small shallots)
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  pinch red pepper flakes
• 1  teaspoon fresh basil, fine chopped (more to taste, or as a garnish)
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Sauce -- In a medium to large sauce pan heat the olive oil to medium high heat and saute the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook just a minute until slightly tender. Then add the vodka (remember to remove the pan from the heat when you add any alcohol), return to the heat and cook for just a minute. Add the tomatoes, and reduce the heat to medium/low. Cook just for 3-4 for minutes and then add in the heavy cream, basil, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Serve -- The sauce is done. You can add shrimp (they can cook in the sauce in just 4-5 minutes). You can also add in cooked chicken or sausage. For me, I like the sauce as is.
3. Garnish -- Fresh grated parmesan and crusty bread is perfect to me.