medtran49
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This recipe originally came from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian. We adapted it by adding pancetta and more tomato sauce. You can add more red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce and to the penne sauce if you like things spicy!
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra if needed
Two 1/4-inch slices of pancetta, 3 if you want more, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, 1/4 to 3/8 inch dice
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp or more red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream (use the lower amount if you want more of a red sauce)
1 recipe tomato sauce, see below
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 pound dry penne pasta (cooked according to package directions)
1/2 cup vodka (Something like Smirnoff, not rotgut, but not expensive either)
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, add pancetta cubes and reduce heat to medium. Cook pancetta until it renders fat and starts to crisp. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain in a bowl on paper towels. Add onions to pan and cook until crisp tender. Remove with the slotted spoon and place in same bowel with pancetta. If there is not a couple of tablespoons of oil/fat in pan, add a little olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute for a minute or so. Add white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir. Add pancetta and onions, stir. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes until onions finish cooking and sauce has a chance to meld a bit. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling, salted water and cook. Add cream, stir to mix and allow to return to simmer. Stir in cheese. Add vodka and just bring to a simmer. Add drained pasta to sauce, stir. You may not need to use all the pasta so only add about 3/4 of it, stir, then add more pasta if desired. Let stand for a couple of minutes so pasta can absorb some of the sauce. Serve with additional grated cheese for the top.
Sauce
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 to 1 tsp sugar (depending on acidity of tomatoes)
One 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
4 large ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
This should be a fairly mild tasting sauce. You want the flavor of the pancetta, onions and vodka to predominate in the final dish.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, reduce heat to medium and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or so. Add red pepper flakes and basil. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sugar, both tomatoes, white wine, 1/2 cup stock, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour, add the remaining 1/4 stock if sauce starts to get too thick. Remove from heat and set aside. You can leave sauce as is or puree with an immersion blender or a regular blender.
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra if needed
Two 1/4-inch slices of pancetta, 3 if you want more, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, 1/4 to 3/8 inch dice
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp or more red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream (use the lower amount if you want more of a red sauce)
1 recipe tomato sauce, see below
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 pound dry penne pasta (cooked according to package directions)
1/2 cup vodka (Something like Smirnoff, not rotgut, but not expensive either)
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, add pancetta cubes and reduce heat to medium. Cook pancetta until it renders fat and starts to crisp. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain in a bowl on paper towels. Add onions to pan and cook until crisp tender. Remove with the slotted spoon and place in same bowel with pancetta. If there is not a couple of tablespoons of oil/fat in pan, add a little olive oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute for a minute or so. Add white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir. Add pancetta and onions, stir. Let cook for about 5-7 minutes until onions finish cooking and sauce has a chance to meld a bit. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling, salted water and cook. Add cream, stir to mix and allow to return to simmer. Stir in cheese. Add vodka and just bring to a simmer. Add drained pasta to sauce, stir. You may not need to use all the pasta so only add about 3/4 of it, stir, then add more pasta if desired. Let stand for a couple of minutes so pasta can absorb some of the sauce. Serve with additional grated cheese for the top.
Sauce
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 to 1 tsp sugar (depending on acidity of tomatoes)
One 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
4 large ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
This should be a fairly mild tasting sauce. You want the flavor of the pancetta, onions and vodka to predominate in the final dish.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, reduce heat to medium and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or so. Add red pepper flakes and basil. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sugar, both tomatoes, white wine, 1/2 cup stock, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour, add the remaining 1/4 stock if sauce starts to get too thick. Remove from heat and set aside. You can leave sauce as is or puree with an immersion blender or a regular blender.
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