You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

Lauren is the one that cooks 99% of the time, where I do the clean up. However, tonight the wind of change blew in and I made dinner!! The below recipe was the very first meal I made for Lauren when I lived in Valparaiso, IN and she was working at Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore. She lived with her dad but stayed with me most of the time.

I was not single for long after this!!!!

I started dinner before she got home from work but when she arrived we had to take some pictures. This is a shout out to Vicki (my second mom) for getting my own personal apron!

This is a very simple pasta dish to make.

Me in action!!

After the heavy cream was added!! Don't you want to drink it?

And here it is!!

The Details!

You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

(Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced (I did not have shallots, I used 1/4 cup chopped onion)

1 cup vodka

1 cup of chicken stock

1 can crushed tomatoes (32 oz)

Coarse salt and pepper

16 oz pasta (I used 13 oz), such as penne rigate (I recommend whole wheat pasta)

1/2 cup heavy cream

20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Directions

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.

Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it).

Stir in cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, romove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

ENJOY!