Step 1

Heat up a Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced shallots and saute until it starts to brown.

Step 2

Smash and mince garlic, add it to the pot, and saute until garlic is fragrant.

Step 3

Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, stir well, and simmer until heated through. Pour in vodka, stir, and let it come to simmer.

Step 4

Simmer for a 5-7 minutes but make sure to keep the lid on with a small opening for the steam to escape. (Tomatoes will splatter while simmering so the lid will help a lot.)

Step 5

Stir in heavy whipping cream and add shaved Parmesan cheese, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and simmer until the cheese is all melted and smooth.

Step 6

Stir in minced fresh basil and let it cook for just a minute or so.

Step 7

Take off heat and it’s ready to be mixed with pasta.

Step 8

TIP: the sauce can be left chunky or blended smooth. If you want to blend the sauce, use an immersion blender or transfer it into a food processor. Be careful if transferring the sauce to blend because it will be scalding hot.

Step 9

TIP: cook pasta at the same time as the sauce because both will take about the same amount of time.