Monday Night is Pasta Night

I'm sorting out a new pasta dish tonight (more later if it's successful), so I thought I stick up a classic NYC dish...


Penne in vodka sauce


Although this dish has not been anywhere near Italy, it is still one of the tastiest pasta dishes, and really easy to make too. Pretend you’re in the New York mafia when you’re eating it and talk about getting someone wacked. Let's just say that this comes under Italian-American cuisine!!!

Feeds 4

salt and black pepper
a good knob of  butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pack assorted Italian meat (Parma ham, salami etc), thinly sliced
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 red chillies, chopped
25ml/1fl oz vodka
500g/18oz penne pasta
1 small pot double cream
freshly grated Parmesan

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the sliced meat and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, chilli and some black pepper, and cook for 5 minutes before adding the vodka.
Then it’s time to put the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes (or whatever it says on the packet).
When the pasta is ready, add the cream to the tomato sauce and cook gently for 2 minutes. While this is simmering, drain the pasta and put back into the big pan. Add the tomato sauce to the pasta and mix well.
Cover with grated Parmesan and serve.