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Photo of Penne with vodka sauce by WW

Penne with vodka sauce

12
Points®
Total Time
28 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
18 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Yes, believe it or not, there's actual heavy whipping cream and vodka in our lightened up version of this Italian specialty—just enough for fantastic deliciousness without all of the calories and fat. This classic recipe also incorporates sweet shallots, chopped up garlic, lots of fresh parsley and basil for color and brightness, and plenty of tomato paste for even more hearty depth of flavor. Be sure to serve the pasta immediately when the sauce is at its creamiest, as creamy sauces tend to break quickly as they cool. If you prefer a looser, silkier sauce, you can add some pasta-cooking water as you're tossing everything together.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter

1 Tbsp

Shallot

2 medium, minced (about 1/2 cup)

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Fresh parsley

2 Tbsp, fresh, minced

Sea salt

½ tsp, or other coarse salt

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Tomato paste

3 Tbsp

Vodka

2 fl oz

Table salt

⅛ tsp, or to taste (for cooking pasta)

Uncooked penne pasta

12 oz

Heavy whipping cream

½ cup(s), yields 2 cups whipped

Basil

20 leaf/leaves, fresh, cut into ribbons (chiffonade)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over a medium-low heat. Add butter, shallots and garlic; sauté until shallots start to caramelize, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add parsley, sea salt and pepper, stirring once or twice. Add tomato paste and mix to form a paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, moving paste around pan occasionally; add vodka. Scrap bottom of pan with a wooden spoon and cook for about 5 minutes more.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
  3. Add cream to tomato sauce; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add pasta to sauce and mix to coat; top with basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

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