It’s Recipe Thursday: Rigatoni alla Vodka

Do you have an abundance of tomatoe’s in your garden? Why not make a Vodka Sauce?

Rigatoni alla Vodka
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 to 6 Large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips (omit if you are a vegetatian)
32 to 35 oz Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped or home grown tomatoes that are peeled and diced. Pour the tomatoes (and their liquid if using can tomatos) into a food processor. Process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped.
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more to taste)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup vodka
1 lb. Rigatoni Pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped

Directions

Bring water to boil in large pot for cooking pasta
In a skillet, large enough to hold the cooked pasta, add olive oil and melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the chopped garlic and cook until golden.
Stir in the prosciutto and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and crushed pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the cream and cook, stirring well, for 1 minute.
Add the vodka and cook for 2 minutes.
In the interim, cook your pasta according to package directions until the penne is tender yet still firm to the bite.
Drain the pasta, reserve some of the cooking water.
Add the pasta to the sauce in your skillet and toss well.
Add a little of the reserved cooking water if your sauce seems too thick.
Add parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and toss again.
Add fresh basil and serve immediately.