Vodka Sauce

A few years ago, we had dinner at a local restaurant and for some reason, Vodka Penne sounded really good. It was a tomato-y sauce, but wasn't spaghetti or marinara or anything like that. I was hooked. This was one of the first cream sauces I learned to make. It was also one of the first times I tried my stick blender. (Oh, I <3 my stick blender!)

Easy Vodka Sauce (originally from allrecipes.com)

1/2 c. butter
1 onion, diced
1 c. vodka
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 pint heavy cream

In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft. Pour in vodka and let cook for 10 minutes[1]. Mix in crushed tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes.[2] Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes.

Toss with pasta[3] and top with grated Parmesan cheese. This makes enough for generous servings for 4-5 adults. I've frozen it for several months and it's just as good reheated[4].

Notes:
[1] Heat + vodka = wooo! I usually have a window open or a fan going during this stage as the alcohol cooks out.
[2] About 20 minutes into the tomatoes cooking, I take my stick blender to the pan and blend to a thick puree. Because of this step, you can really use any style of tomato you want.
[3] I prefer penne pasta with this recipe. I think the texture and size complements the sauce well.
[4] Often I'll make a double batch and portion out what we use for one meal, then freeze.