Everyone who's ever tried this dish absolutely loves it and so I thought I should get it on the blog in case I ever lost the recipe, or to be able to share with those wanting to give it a whirl.
I adapted it from Epicurious. It didn't have any bacon (sacreligous IMO) so that was a must add. I also added a pinch of cinnamon, a trick I learnt from my boyfriend Jamie Oliver. And finally changed the heavy cream to crème fraiche because that's how I roll.
Ingredients
Two 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with their liquid
Two 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with their liquid
Cup of chopped bacon / pancetta
Cup of chopped onion
Pinch of cinnamon
1 pound penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic
1 pound penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh basil
Crushed hot red pepper
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil for finishing the sauce, if you like
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing if you like
Directions
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor and add the basil. Using quick on/off pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. (Longer processing will aerate the tomatoes, turning them pink.)
Crushed hot red pepper
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil for finishing the sauce, if you like
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing if you like
Directions
Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor and add the basil. Using quick on/off pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. (Longer processing will aerate the tomatoes, turning them pink.)
Stir the penne into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon and onions with the
pinch of cinnamon until cooked, but not crispy. Once done, remove from skillet and put aside.
Remove most of the bacon fat from the skillet and add and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, peel and add them to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully — they will splatter — slide the tomatoes into the pan and add the bacon and onions. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and generously with crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer until the pasta is ready.
Just before the pasta is done, fish the garlic cloves out of the sauce and spoon in the cream. Add the 2 tablespoons butter or oil, if using, and swirl the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary. Boil until the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta.
Remove most of the bacon fat from the skillet and add and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, peel and add them to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully — they will splatter — slide the tomatoes into the pan and add the bacon and onions. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and generously with crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer until the pasta is ready.
Just before the pasta is done, fish the garlic cloves out of the sauce and spoon in the cream. Add the 2 tablespoons butter or oil, if using, and swirl the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary. Boil until the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta.
Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese if you like.
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