Last night’s dinner: Penne alla Vodka, homemade bread & butter, and panna cotta

Penne alla Vodka
(modified from Cook’s Illustrated)

1 lb penne pasta
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
4 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup vodka (I use Absolut, because that’s what I have on hand.)
1/4 cup half-and-half

Heat water to boil in a large post with salt. (NO OIL! You want the sauce to stick to the pasta!)

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onion, then add garlic and spices. Add tomatoes, and heat thoroughly. Add vodka (be careful! remember! vodka is flammable!) then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cook penne pasta according to package directions.

When there is about a minute left on the pasta, add the cream to the tomato sauce, and heat until warm.

Drain the water from the pasta, return the pasta to the pot, then pour the tomato sauce over the pasta.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Panna Cotta

2 1/2 tsp gelatin
1 cup whole milk
3 cups cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/8 tsp salt

Bloom the gelatin in 1/4 cup of the milk.

Heat the milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla bean just to boiling.

Strain the vanilla bean pod.

Add about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture to the gelatin mixture. Add remaining milk and salt.

Pour into ramekins and refrigerate.

Only drawback is that the vanilla bean seeds sink to the bottom, so I had to stir the panna cotta to evenly distribute the seeds. Didn’t effect the deliciousness however.