After the holidays, I needed a break from meat.  With the cool temperatures in DC- and even a few flurries- hot pasta sounded good last night.  In another take on this dish, I created a vegetarian version.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup vodka
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 T. butter
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound penne pasta (Note: I used gluten free)
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2-3 leaves fresh basil, chopped (Note: I was out so used some parsley to dress up the plate)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the vodka and red pepper flakes. Marinate a few hours or overnight. Use more pepper flakes if a spicier sauce is desired.
2. In saucepot, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until tender-about 5 minutes.
4. Strain pepper flakes from vodka, reserving vodka.
5. Discard pepper flakes and add vodka to saucepot.
6. Add tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Simmer 20-30 minutes.
8. Toss sauce and cheese with pasta and sprinkle with basil or parsley.
9. Pass additional cheese to sprinkle on top.

Allergens:

• This recipe is dairy free if you omit the cheese.
• This recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten free pasta.
• This recipe is nut free.
• This recipe is vegetarian.
• This recipe is soy free.

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