Pasta alla Vodka

Ingredients

olive oil

1/4 cup

garlicminced

5 cloves

salt

1 1/2 teaspoons

dried red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon

crushed tomatoes in puree

1 can (28 oz)

spicy chicken sausagecasings removed

1 pound

dry penne

1 pound

whipping cream

1 cup

Finlandia vodka

2 tablespoons

fresh parsleychopped

2 tablespoons

black pepperfreshly ground

to taste

Parmesan cheesefreshly grated

for serving

Method

1. 01Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, cook stirring often until garlic turns golden but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. 02Add crushed tomatoes and stir to blend. Simmer uncovered until sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.15 min
3. 03Meanwhile, cook sausage in another skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up meat into smaller pieces as it cooks until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.7 min
4. 04Scoop out sausage with slotted spoon, allowing excess fat to drip away, and add to tomato sauce.
5. 05Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add pasta, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.12 min
6. 06Drain pasta well and add to tomato sauce.
7. 07Add cream and vodka and toss. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and let sit 2 to 4 minutes to allow pasta to absorb sauce.
8. 08Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange pasta on individual plates, passing Parmesan separately.