Countless numbers of us, on a daily basis, are faced with the challenge of filling multiple roles. We must be spouses, parents, professionals, etc., and still find time and energy after all that to be health-conscious individuals! Life shouldn't be an exhausting struggle, it should be a collection of one enjoyable, memorable, fulfilling, experience after another, should it not? I mean, pardon the cliché, but life's too short to let it be anything else.

I am a self-proclaimed food hobbyist on a quest to find delicious, healthy, fast, easy-to-make recipes and to successfully make those food adjectives actually belong together in a sentence. I am looking for after work meals that don't come out of a can, that I can enjoy preparing after a long work day, that my family will enjoy eating, and that will allow me to rest assured knowing that we are eating healthy. When I find these meals, I wish to share them with others. Cheers :)

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Penne A La Vodka

I spent a wonderful evening with my sister and her hubby this evening. Since there was rain in the forecast, for dinner we decided against a BBQ and wine by the fireplace, and decided to prepare an 'indoor' dish my lil sis had learned from a gourmet chef at a recent teacher's conference...Penne a la Vodka...ummmmm!!

It was my first time preparing this dish, but with my sister's direction, it was unbelievably easy, and delicious! We paired it with a wondeful Pinot Grigio - a perfect match!

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta
4-5 tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
6-7 green onions diced
2/3 cup pancetta diced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning mix
3 cups pasta sauce
3/4 cup 18% cream
approx 30 mls vodka



1) Boil penne noodles to desired tenderness while preparing sauce

2) Saute garlic, green onion, and pancetta in EVOO on high heat until cooked (garlic golden, pancetta browned throughout), be careful not to burn the veg






3) Tip pan so that all oil and vegetables slide to one side

4) Pour vodka over hot oil and vegetable mix, ignite with a lighter and flambe




5) Once flame has died, reduce heat to medium and add pasta sauce, bring to a simmer

6) Gradually add cream, stirring constantly until blended to create a nice rose sauce




Comme Ça :


7) Drain penne noodles, and mix sauce with pasta



8) Add fresh grated parmesan cheese over top, and voila - Penne a la Vodka! This was so good my 3 year old asked for seconds!!



Enjoy!

Cheers ;)
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7 comments:

  1. DevakiJune 7, 2010 at 5:56 PM

    Dear Karen - This is delicious and so easy with the pre-made pasta sauce.

    A must have in anybody's kitchen.

    I am so glad you stopped by my corner and said hello. I am looking forward to many more to and fro visits :)

    Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Real DishJune 8, 2010 at 10:42 AM

    Uh WOW! Totally yummy AND easy?! Sign me up! And it's cooked with flair, just look at that flame! (P.S. I am also peeking at your new kitchen in those pics and I am totally jealous)
    Thanks for sharing the recipe Karen!
    Cheers!
    C

    ReplyDelete
  3. KarenJune 8, 2010 at 2:40 PM

    Devaki - Thank YOU for stopping by!! The feeling is mutual, I too look forward to future visits to your site :) Yes this recipe gives big bang for your buck...give it a go sometime!!

    C - Sign you up...check! ;) I was scared - my first time doing a flambe, but it went well....I had a fire extinguisher nearby lol (not shown in the photo)...it was alot of fun, freaked my little one out a bit haha...new kitchen, yes, thanks for noticing :) I'm LOVIN' it....finally got the new fridge just on Thursday after a 2 month back order....reno is now complete!! *sigh*
    Thanks for popping by!

    ReplyDelete
  4. bonnieJune 9, 2010 at 1:51 AM

    love penne a la vodka, great for you to try the flame, it always freaks me out..

    sweetlife

    ReplyDelete
  5. KarenJune 11, 2010 at 9:14 AM

    Hi bonnie....yes the flame was scary, but it was my first....definately willing to do it again!! Thanks for stopping by!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJune 13, 2010 at 11:05 AM

    Is this a take on Nigella's Penne a la Vodka? if it is, it is awesome!!! I made this the other day actually with linguini because I didn't have penne. Yours looks lovely and reinforces its beauty ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. KarenJune 14, 2010 at 6:53 AM

    Hey Jenn...sort of....I've seen this dish done by a number of chefs and always had an interest in trying it out...when my lil sis said she learned it firsthand from a chef and was willing to show me, I was gung ho!! Thanks for your lovely compliments!! *hugs* talk to u soon!!

    ReplyDelete

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