On top of spaghetti, All covered with cheese, I added this vodka sauce, and it was delicious…
Some of us may be a bit gloomy this Monday. The realization is setting in that the long holiday weekends have come to an end, and we’re about to crack 4 days into our healthy New Year’s Resolution.
Luckily today’s National Spaghetti Day and it’s time to turn that frown upside down, because really how can you not celebrate? We’ve dug up this delicious, boozy vodka sauce recipe (yes, vodka really is an ingredient) from Chef Emeril Lagasse, that may not necessarily benefit your 2016 weight loss plan, but is sure to to cure your post holiday Monday blues!
Pasta With Vodka Sauce And Sausage
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
6 teaspoons minced garlic
2 14.5 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
Sprig fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 8 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.
Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving. Top with cheese and sprig of basil and serve immediately.