Firenza ~ Fire Roasted Tomato Creamy Vodka Sauce with Penne

It is easy cooking Italian. Why/How? Because, Italian cooks are not uptight. They go with the flow by making use of whatever they have on hand using whatever to go with what they have in their basic stocked pantry. On the right margin of this blog, you will find the basic pantry items and including an extended version. Believe me, you can do a lot with the basic items. A good Fettuccine Alfredo only needs to have these basic items: butter, heavy cream, pasta, and cheese. Of course, some herbs along with salt and pepper would be wise to have on hand but those four basic items will still make a great simple dish.


Tonight, I made a delicious simple pasta dish. It may sound complex or elegant but it is simple... simply elegant. How? Start with chopped onion sauteed in olive oil and some coconut oil (med heat), add to that ground pork or veal if you prefer it could even be ground turkey for that matter. Once you have broken down the meat stirring repeatedly in the sauteing onion, you can add dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Add 2 small cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes (you can do it yourself by chopping/dicing up two plump Italian tomoates and roasting the tomato flesh in an iron skillet until they blacken).

Now, the moment to add 2 tbs of vodka. Turn up the heat and let it sizzle. Reduce the heat to low and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cover and let simmer on low heat while the penne boils. Once the pasta is tender, drain and ladle onto a low lipped serving plate. Pour out your sauce over the pasta, shave some parmesan cheese to top and serve.











~ Tutti a Tavola!