Spicy Pennoni Alle Vodka

Step 1

Infuse red chili flakes and minced garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Give it about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the entire bottle of tomato passata. Fill the empty passata bottle with about 1 cup of water, swirl it around, and add it to the pan as well so you don’t lose any of the residual passata.

Step 3

Add salt and fresh black pepper to taste, allowing this tomato mixture to reduce for about 20-30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about a third. Stir occasionally.

Step 4

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Step 5

Once the sauce has reduced, add the vodka.

Step 6

Increase the heat to high to cook off the alcohol, about 5 minutes.

Step 7

Reduce the heat back to medium, add the dried oregano, and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes.

Step 8

Once the pasta water is boiling, add your pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the length of time recommended on the package.

Step 9

While the pasta cooks, stir in the cream and reduce the heat to low.

Step 10

Transfer the cooked pasta from the pot of water to the sauce pan using a slotted spoon and toss to coat.

Step 11

Add a ladleful of the starchy pasta water to the pasta and sauce, allowing it to reduce for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 12

Stir in the grated Parmesan

Step 13

Remove the pasta from the heat and serve immediately with some more freshly grated Parmesan and a few fresh basil leaves.