Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Sausage

Tired of Turkey yet?

I’m done; I finished the turkey last night with a turkey pot pie, yep I’ve made turkey calzones, turkey soup, and turkey tetrazzini, I’m ready to move on with some meat. I chose this recipe for tonight because I wanted something very simple but hearty and delicious. Originally I created this recipe as a pizza sauce “Pizza ala Vodka” with slices of prosciutto and a blend of Italian cheeses and crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil.

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients

1/2 pound spaghetti (1/2 box)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, remove the casing and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
12 Oz Whole imported plum tomatoes crushed
3 tablespoons vodka
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
Sprig fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving. Top with cheese and sprig of basil and serve immediately.