Penne Rigate in a Vodka Sauce

Name: Penne Rigate in a Vodka Sauce
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste, plus more for pasta pot; 1 pound penne rigate; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup finely diced onion; 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled; 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes; 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; 1/2 cup half-and-half; 1/3 cup vodka; 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano; 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

December 14, 2011

If there is one dish that I can affirm is Italian American, this is it. It has all the pedigree of being Italian, though it was definitely born in America. This is one of those few recipes that crossed the Atlantic in the other direction, and the Italians in Italy have been enjoying it as well. The first references we find to vodka sauce are from the early 1980s.

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