Penne alla Vodka…I FINALLY Made It
One of my goals this year was to try new recipes…at least 2 or 3 times a month, as well as revisit dishes I haven’t made in years. If you are the primary cook in your home, you know how easy it is to get into a rut.
The first time I had this heavenly pasta dish was when we moved to South FL. It was served as an appetizer at Arturo’s in Boca Raton. The owner lived in our neighborhood and was good friends with our next-door neighbor. We had many meals there and at his son’s, Trattoria Romana.
I had this clipping taped to an index card and had it saved for at least 20 years. (This was before I uploaded everything to Google Drive.)
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Enzo’s Penne a la Vodka
16 oz dry penne pasta, cooked
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Optional-I sauteed cut pieces of bacon with the tomato, or try prosciutto
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls olive oil
1 (28oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, shredded or pureed*(I used a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes)
8 oz heavy whipping cream
Pepper Vodka (4 tablespoons)
Pinch salt to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese
Saute onions in butter and olive oil until transparent. Add shredded or pureed tomatoes with juice. Cook over medium heat 20-25 minutes or until all liquid content is reduced. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain very well and set aside.
When the tomato sauce is ready, stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a near boil, reduce heat, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until cream and tomatoes are well blended. Stir in pepper vodka, mix, and stir in hot cooked penne. Blend. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
-Makes 4 servings-
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The chef, the late Enzo Perlini, of Enzo’s on the Lake in Longwood, FL, made his own Pepper Vodka by infusing the vodka with red pepper.
We were so anxious to try the dish, I forgot to take a picture of it. It was delicious! Another recipe I found suggested using tomato paste instead of tomatoes, so I’m going to try that recipe!f
By the way…this dish is easy to make!
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