Penne No-Vodka

Recipe

I used to hate spaghetti sauce.

It has to do with the whole it-comes-from-tomatoes thing. Like ketchup and pizza sauce.

Give me a bowl of noodles and butter and I was a happy camper.

Good thing I got over that!

penne vodka

I don’t  know what I’d do without pasta sauce now.

Penne No-Vodka

The first time I saw a jar of vodka sauce in the grocery store I thought it had to be the most disgusting thing on earth.

After walking by it week after week, I had to do it- I bought it.

And it was the best pasta we’d had all year.

So of course I had to try my hand at home made vodka sauce. Although I’m not really into vodka these days {ok, or ever, but especially not right now} and I know there’s plenty of people that don’t keep a bottle of vodka on hand.

No worries. I have a solution.

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Penne No-Vodka

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound whole wheat penne
  • 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup sherry
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup non dairy creamer
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup spinach roughly chopped
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Cook penne to al dente according to package directions.
  2. Lightly saute shallots until just start to brown. Toss in garlic.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, sherry, and vinegar.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to cook off sherry flavor.
  5. Let sauce simmer while pasta cooks. When you're almost ready to serve it, stir in non dairy creamer, spinach, basil, and red pepper flakes.
  6. Top with extra basil.

vodka sauce

vodka cream sauce

There’s a big debate about whether the vodka in vodka sauce plays a role in flavor development or not. I’m going to say yes; how else would you get that distinctive tang compared to regular marinara?

So instead of just omitted the vodka, I substituted a combo of sherry and red wine vinegar. Tang? Yes.

penne pasta

pasta vodka

My only complaint is that it didn’t get creamy enough. I used Silk soy creamer instead of my go-to So Delicious coconut creamer, and I wasn’t please with the results. I kept adding more and more creamer and it never got…creamy.

So I do suggest using coconut milk creamer, or another creamer you know reallllly gets creamy. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the sauce creamed up a lot better in my zucchini with tomato cream sauce recipe {and that was significantly less cream!}

Ok, have I used the word “cream” and it’s related forms enough yet for you?

penne vodka

I tried a new tomato product making this dish. I received these Pomi tomato samples awhile back, and kept not making things with tomato. I have to say I was really please with them! The chopped tomatoes worked perfectly in this dish because they’re a little saucier than regular diced tomatoes.

pomi tomato products

My favorite part? {Besides not needed a pesky can opener.} Check out the ingredient list.

natural diced tomatoes

Tomatoes. The end. Now that’s how food should be.

 

Ok let’s vote: yay or nay on vodka playing a specific role in vodka sauce? Or is it just a ploy by the vodka manufacturers?

 

Be sure to check out tiny sneakers to find out what our one unresolved baby issue is…