One of my favorite pasta dishes is penne alla vodka, and it is such an easy dish to make that I tend to make it at home (though I'll also order it at restaurants, especially good versions of it such as that of Bottega di Capri in Brookline). And there is a "twist" to the recipe that I like to do, using trenne instead of penne. And what is trenne, you ask? Well, it is a lot like penne but it has three sides to it, which allows you to (depending on the recipe) actually brown the pasta in a pan. This recipe does not use this technique, but the slightly more robust texture of the trenne creates quite a different version of this classic pasta dish. By the way, trenne is tough to find, but if you're in New York, Murray's Cheese Shop in the Village typically has it on hand in bins.
Prep: | Cooking: | Total Time: | Servings: 4-8
Ingredients:
16 ounces trenne pasta
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup bacon bits
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
1. Place pasta in salted boiling water and set time according to directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, mix garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes in a large pan and cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally.
3. Add vodka and stir for 2 minutes, then add heavy cream and bacon bits and stir until sauce is as smooth as possible. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and set heat to low.
4. When pasta is done cooking, add to sauce and gently toss until sauce covers all of the pasta. Add reserved cooking water as needed a bit at a time to give sauce a creamy texture.
5. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
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