Penne Vodka

I should start this post off by saying that I don’t use vodka in this recipe. You can! Just a 1/4 cup will do. It’ll cook off and you won’t taste it. I just don’t use it because I don’t drink and I never have vodka at my house. It’s always just as good without it, but do whatever makes you happiest!

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon, chopped
half an onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2/3 cup of tomato paste
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 pound of rigatoni (any noodle works) noodles
Italian seasoning and basil to taste

Directions:
Chop bacon and fry in a pan. Remove bacon crumbles and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan. Chop half an onion and garlic clove. Add to pan with grease and 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Sauté these for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream until well combined. Add in the parmesan cheese, basil, and Italian seasoning. Add cooked noodles into the sauce, top with tablespoon of butter and extra parmesan if needed. If it’s too thick, add in a half cup of pasta water!

*You can make this without the bacon and just sauté your onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of EVOO. It’s seriously still so good!*