You know how some people have a go-to dish that they know like the back of their hand? Yeah, this vodka pasta is definitely mine.
I know that a lot of vodka pasta includes either a bacon or pancetta stirred in.
While these are delicious flavors, I'm not a huge fan of them in this.
Now hear me out for a second before I hurt any bacon-lover's feelings.
Bacon is a very strong flavor. If bacon is inside of anything, whether it's donuts, muffins, meatloaf, burgers, etc, you can taste it. In fact, I'd even bet it's the first thing you taste.
Which in most cases is a good thing, but this isn't bacon pasta. It's vodka pasta. So when you add the bacon, or pancetta, I think it just over powers the dish and you don't get the chance to let the (cooked-off) vodka and tomato flavors shine.
If it hurts your heart too much to leave the bacon off, you can definitely add it. But if you leave it out, this becomes a vegetarian friendly dish, which always makes me happy to include everyone in my recipes.
This is a quick dish that comes together in under thirty minutes and serves a ton! It's a classic for a reason, folks!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
A few cracks of black pepper
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons-¼ cup of sugar
⅓ cup of vodka
½ cup of heavy cream
Start by adding a drizzle of oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat.
Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
Add in garlic. Cook for another minute.
Stir in tomato paste and seasonings. Mix with the onions and garlic and cook for another minute or so.
Then, add in crushed tomatoes, sugar, and vodka. Bring to a low boil and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Turn heat to low and add in heavy cream. Stir everything together and serve over a plate of warm pasta.
This is such an easy dish to throw together and can be made up with mostly pantry staples! I always try to keep these things on hand so in case any last-minute dinner guests come over, I know I have something delicious to whip up!
-Holly Michelle
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