SK week 17 | Penne a la Vodka

One of the things I was excited to do in this year of Smitten Kitchen recipes, in addition to trying new things, was trying other versions of something I already make. One example was this week's penne a la vodka. I've made my mom's version a million times, and we've tweaked it over the years. More recently I've done a combination of my mom's recipe and Pioneer Woman's penne a la Betsy. I'm always intrigued at how many different ways there are to make one classic dish! So here we go with this version. :)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced (again, I had larger-than-normal shallots, so I did one)
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken broth
1 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 pound penne
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 basil leaves, shredded or torn

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallot. Saute 3-5 minutes.

Add the vodka and reduce by half (2-3 minutes).

Add the chicken broth....

And the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a bubble and reduce to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, you should be cooking your pasta and making a salad. After the sauce simmers a while, stir in the cream. Return to a simmer and then turn off heat.

Drain pasta and add to sauce.

Stir in the basil.

Top with parmesan cheese. This was not listed, but I think it's kind of vital. :)

Final verdict? It was fine. Nothing to write home about. I prefer my other recipe(s) more. There was something oddly sweet about it--maybe the shallot, or maybe I needed more salt. Anyway, it was definitely a decent dish, and it came together nice and quick, which is always a plus in my book. From my other version(s), I missed a protein component (Italian sausage, shrimp, or prosciutto all work well). I also missed actual pieces of tomatoes. But now I'm just being picky. ;)

Happy Friday!