Wednesday, December 16, 2009

It's So Nice, I Want to Eat the Same Meal Twice


My entire life, I have never liked leftovers, aside from the occasional slice of cold pizza or Chinese food. I know, I know - I am a horrible, food wasting person, but I really cannot help it. But with the holidays upon us, it being finals week, and me hunting down my committee to sign off on a date for my thesis defense, I am coming home everyday exhausted and not wanting to cook. So I started searching through my recipe book and looking for something that I could eat for several days in a row without losing my mind. I stumbled across this old recipe which is a tried and true favorite in my house - and one that I dare say actually tastes better the second time around (and that means a lot coming from me). Enjoy!

Penne alla Vodka

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz of penne (or rigatoni)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
chopped fresh basil

Melt butter with oil over medium heat in heavy medium sauce pan. Saute garlic and shallot for 3 to 5 minutes. Add vodka and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir cornstarch into cold cream and add to sauce. In the meantime, cook pasta in salted boiling water. When the sauce returns to a boil, remove from heat and stir in chopped basil. Pour over pasta and mix to coat completely. Serve topped with grated parmesan.

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