Isabel, here's my version of this recipe- can you please send me yours?
There are many versions out there, but the one I favour the most is from the Half Baked Harvest blog, which I've further tweaked. It is super delicious: make it, and make it your own!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 fresh red chilli depending on how spicy you like it, chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped fairly fine
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
350g good quality tomato passata (I use Mutti)
3 generous tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup vodka
150 ml fresh cream
1 heaped tablespoons pesto or pistou
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of chopped fresh parsley for garnish
1 packet (500g) rigatoni or penne pasta
Directions:
Heat a large pan of salted water, and when it starts to boil, add the packet of pasta and stir well to separate all the pieces.
In a large pan (I use a wok: it works the best), heat the olive oil and brown the onion, chilli and garlic.
Add the tomato paste, the passata and the vodka, stirring well.
Bring to a bubble so as to burn off the alcohol, turn down the heat and add the pesto and cream, and stir well.
Keep the sauce at a very low heat.
Meanwhile, when the pasta is exactly al dente, scoop a cup of the pasta water and set aside.
Drain the pasta in a colander, and then quickly add it into the creamy sauce cooking gently in the wok.
Toss it all well and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
If the mix seems too thick, add some pasta water, a little at a time until a nice luscious and creamy sauce coats the pasta.
Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and give the pasta in the wok a final good toss.
Serve immediately in bowls, top with the rest of the cheese and garnish with a handful of chopped parsley.
Note:
This is about the richest thing I cook with all that cream and cheese in it. The vodka however, burns off to lend this rich tomato sauce a lovely deep flavour, and essentially takes the edge off the richness.
The addition of pesto is chef Tieghan Gerard's brilliant idea which I really love, adding a really nice thickness to the sauce. As I make my own pistou (without cheese) and keep the grind fairly coarse, my addition of home made pistou gives this sauce a good chunkiness.
If you are using a store bought pesto with parmesan in it, you may want to reduce or even omit step 8, which is the addition of parmesan cheese to the sauce.
A salad of bitter greens to accompany the pasta further balances out the richness.
This is definitely a 'treat' meal- you'll feel very special/satisfied/pampered eating or serving this.
For my vegan daughter, I substituted the cream with store bought cashew cream, and the parmesan with a vegan shredded cheese. She was happy!
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