Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup vodka
7 cups fresh tomato pieces or 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound penne or ziti pasta
4 tablespoons fresh oregano
¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese
½ pound crumbled and browned Italian sausage, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium heat, add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano; cook for 1 minute more. Add vodka and continue cooking until reduced by half. Cut fresh tomatoes into walnut sized pieces and add to onion mixture. (If using canned tomatoes: Drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands.)
Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1½ hours. Remove pan from the oven and cool 15 minutes or more. Carefully place small amounts of cooled tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan. *
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until not quite al dente. Drain, reserving about a cup of pasta water. Reheat sauce and add heavy cream, if desired, to make sauce a creamy consistency. If using, add Italian sausage and adjust salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta to sauce and cook for about 5 minutes more, adding a little of the reserved pasta water if necessary to thin.
Serve topped with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh oregano.
* If freezing, this is the time to measure desired amounts of sauce into freezer bags or containers, cool completely in refrigerator and place in freezer. Note: Add cream and finishing ingredients after defrosting, but only if desired - we liked it without the cream too.
Serves 4
Adapted from Ina Garten and/or Nick & Toni's