Recipe:
INGREDIENTS: (serves 4)
* 1 lb/16oz penne
* 1/4 lb prosciutto
* 3 cloves thin sliced garlic
* 3/4 cup cream
* 3-4 tbsps vodka
* 1 can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
* 1 tsps red pepper flames
* 1 Stem of basil
* 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup parm
* 2-3 tbsps olive oil
* 2 tbsps unsalted butter
* Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
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First thinly slice the garlic, chop the tomatoes, and then slice the prosciutto into little strip. Puree your tomatoes in a blender, food processor or food mill.
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Get a pot of salted water on the stove for the pasta and a wide-bottomed pan next to it to cook the sauce.
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In the separate steel pan, add the prosciutto and a few tablespoons of olive oil and cook over medium-high heat and cook the prosciutto until it just begins to crisp up and become golden. Once that happens add the basil and garlic. The trick is to try and time it so that you add the garlic at the perfect time to allow for it to cook but not let it burn or the prosciutto get too burnt. Once it’s done, turn the heat off and deglaze the pan with the vodka. (If you want to leave out the prosciutto, then just use extra olive oil and start this sauce by adding garlic and basil to the oil and then adding the vodka and then the sauce.)
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Turn the heat back on and reduce the vodka till it’s almost nothing. Now add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat until it reduces and becomes very thick. You can tell how thick it's getting by dragging a flat wooden spoon across the pan and look at how the sauce holds itself. Once you’ve cooked it down till most of the water is cooked out and you can see the bottom of the pan when you mix the sauce, then its time to add the cream. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook it on a simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Then cook the penne in salty water.
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Once the pasta is al dente, drain and transfer to the sauce and combine the sauce with the pasta for a couple of minutes until the sauce coats the pasta. Drop-in a 1-2 tablespoons of cold butter and a little pasta water to control the thickness of the sauce and then serve immediately with parm and top with fresh parsley.
by Hindope