Chef Vinny Oliveri, of Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace, shows News 12's Lily Stolzberg how to make penne alla vodka.
Ingredients:
- 1 box fresh penne pasta (16 oz.)
- 4 oz. prosciutto, small dice
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (28 oz.), drained and crushed by hand
- 4 tbs. tomato paste
- 1-2 tbs. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 medium shallot, small dice
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ stick of butter
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano, grated
- 2 tbs. chopped parsley
- Parmigiano-Reggiano shaved for garnish
- 1 sprig basil for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced prosciutto. Cook for one minute.
Add shallots and garlic. Allow veg to sweat for one to two minutes, then add tomato paste.
Cook tomato paste for two to three minutes, stirring often to prevent burning; if paste begins to burn, lower heat. Add black pepper and crushed red pepper.
Deglaze pan with vodka. Add slowly. If you have a fear of fire, lower heat and cook until the smell of alcohol is gone. For a showy presentation, tilt pan to the fire to ignite or bring a flame to the pan to ignite the vodka.
Keep caution by keeping pan as far away from your face as possible. Once fire is out, proceed to next step.
Add strained and crushed tomatoes to pan. Allow tomatoes to cook for three minutes, stirring often.
Slowly whisk in heavy cream. Once cream is fully incorporated, whisk in butter.
Cook pasta in heavily salted water. Fresh pasta will float after three to four minutes, which indicates its done.
Bring cooked drained pasta into pan with sauce, toss pasta and add ½ cup of pasta water to pan. Add Pecorino Romano and chopped parsley and toss again.
Plate pasta and garnish with torn basil leaves and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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