Nonna’s A La Vodka Sauce

My dearest friend Regina has shared her Nonna’s favorite A La Vodka Sauce with a few twists to suite her family’s requests. Enjoy this authentic and amazing recipe!

 

 

A note from Regina…My daughter’s favorite pasta sauce is A La Vodka.  She loves the creaminess of it with the little bits of prosciutto and tomato in every forkful.  What she doesn’t know is that I have taken Nonna’s recipe and made some slight adjustments to make it a smidgen more healthy.

 

 

Nonna’s A La Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 lb. prosciutto (I used 1/4 lb., but you can omit it all together)
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup fat free half and half or you can use heavy cream or regular half and half
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• penne pasta

 

 

Directions: Cook pasta as per directions on package while preparing sauce…

1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and cook until golden brown over medium heat.
2. Add hot pepper. Cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add shallots and prosciutto. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent and the prosciutto is browned.
4. Add vodka and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
5. Add tomatoes and cream. Simmer for 15 minutes until heated through and the desired consistency is reached.
6. Check for salt and pepper. Then, serve over pasta.

Enjoy!!