Penne alla Vodka

Boil the Pasta Water

Fill the large pot with water, add a generous handful of kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Sauté the Aromatics

Heat the olive oil and butter together in the large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts.

Add the finely diced onion to the skillet.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet.

Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Deglaze with Vodka

Pour the vodka into the skillet and stir to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

Let the vodka simmer until it is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.

Build the Tomato Sauce

Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with all their juices to the skillet.

Stir in the sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper.

Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Cook the Pasta

While the sauce simmers, add the penne to the boiling water and cook until 2 minutes shy of al dente per the package directions.

Before draining, scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta in the colander.

Add the Cream

Pour the heavy cream into the tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Simmer the blush sauce over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Finish the Pasta

Add the drained penne directly to the skillet with the sauce.

Toss the pasta and sauce together over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce looks too thick, stirring to loosen.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and smooth.

Serve

Divide the pasta among warmed bowls and top each with torn fresh basil and extra Parmesan.