Vodka Basil Tomato Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Cook 2 chopped shallots in a skillet with 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 cups Perfect Marinara Sauce (see Cook's Note) and a pinch of red pepper flakes; heat through. Stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 1 to 2 tablespoons vodka; season with salt. Toss with penne.

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt better with oil; add onion and saute for 8 minutes or until transparent.
• Add tomatoes and cook for 25 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet; stir frequently.
• Increase heat and add cream, vodka and red pepper flakes; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened to sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring sauce to a simmer and pour over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; serve.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat; season the water generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes (depending on the pasta shape). Reserve 1 cup of cooking water in a liquid measuring cup, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in another large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic has softened, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste has turned a deep brick red and is starting to caramelize on the bottom and sides of the pot, about 6 minutes. Pour in the vodka and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, then cook until the vodka is almost completely absorbed and the alcohol has cooked off, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, then stir in the heavy cream and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water until smooth and combined.
• Add the cooked pasta, Parmesan and butter to the sauce and stir to evenly combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt. Adjust the consistency of the sauce, adding 1 tablespoon of cooking water at a time, until it nicely coats the pasta (it should be creamy, glossy and saucy). Serve in shallow bowls with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and thinly sliced fresh basil.

Steps:

• To make the gnocchi: place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water. Add salt and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes until they are tender, about 35 minutes. Drain the potatoes. When they are just cool enough to handle, peel them then pass them through a food mill.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour with the egg yolk, cheese and warm potatoes. Work the mixture until it becomes a smooth dough, then incorporate the herbs. Form the dough into 2 balls.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll each ball of dough into a 'rope' about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the 'ropes' into 3/4-inch pieces. Arrange the gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet. (You can freeze the gnocchi at this point and use straight from freezer.)
• Shortly before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so the water maintains an active simmer. Working in small batches, drop gnocchi into the water. Cook the gnocchi until they float 3 to 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain fully in a colander.
• To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add the vodka, cream, and tomato sauce, and simmer until the flavors blend, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Immediately before serving, add the gnocchi to the sauce and heat, stirring gently to coat. Spoon the gnocchi into warm bowls and serve.
• Puree whole tomatoes without their liquid in a food mill. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pureed tomatoes. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce is concentrated, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute; add vodka, bring to a simmer, and cook until mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Stir tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper with the garlic and vodka in the saucepan; bring to a boil and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
• Stir milk and butter together in a bowl until smooth; pour into tomato sauce and stir until the color is even.
• Place saucepan over medium-low heat, bring sauce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.