Penne alla Vodka with Italian Sausage

Okay okay, so what if this isn't an authentic Italian dish?

I admit I don't know squat about real Italian food, but I do know that my bowl was licked clean after inhaling two bowlfuls of this yummy pasta.

I made this dish weeks ago for a good friend, and we both devoured it! I'm making it again tomorrow, but instead of penne, my boyfriend and I are making gnudi! Yum! I can't wait!

This dish has interested me for years now, but it wasn't until we bought a nice bottle of vodka for me to try it out. And to be honest, I really did just throw some things together, and hey, it turned out to be a keeper for the recipe box.

Ingredients for 2

• 8 ounce dried pasta
• 2 Italian sausages
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomato
• 1/4 cup vodka
• Italian seasoning
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese for topping
• Fresh thyme for topping

In a deep frying pan, add olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant then add the tomatoes, vodka, and seasonings.

Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the sausage and pasta. Slice the sausage and and drain the pasta. Set both aside.

Add the heavy cream and taste for seasonings. Add the penne and sliced sausage. Remove from heat. Stir and allow to sit for a few minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme leaves on top.