The Easiest Vodka Sauce Ever.

Guess what? This was one of the very first recipes I ever made on my own! This was back in a time where I couldn't handle much more than boiling water for pasta or putting some chicken in the oven to bake, so the first time I made my own sauce was a pretty big deal.

I got a craving for vodka sauce one day and went recipe hunting. The one I found, on AllRecipes, was so amazingly simple I would be crazy NOT to do it! The only thing I was missing was the vodka. So, I took a drive to Bottle King and picked up the biggest, cheapest plastic bottle of vodka I could find.

Yeah, I know, vodka in a plastic bottle. That's what we call "klassy". I was young and naive, alright? All I knew was that it was only $9 and vodka doesn't expire, so what does it matter? It wasn't like we were ever going to drink it (Matt likes his scotch and do I really need to re-declare my love for Arbor Mist?).

Shut up.

Anyway...I got my cheap-ass vodka (which smells more like paint thinner than vodka, might I add) and proceeded to make the most delicious sauce we'd have ever tasted. Every time I make it, Matt declares, "I can't believe that you can take the worst vodka in the world and make it in to the most awesome sauce!"

I figured it was time to share this recipe, since I think vodka sauce is something that is just so easy to make and just so delicious. Fun fact - did you know? The reason why there are no other seasonings in this sauce other than onion is because the point of the vodka is to draw out flavors from the tomatoes that could not otherwise be accessed.

Cool, right?

EASY VODKA SAUCE, courtesy of AllRecipes.com 
Makes ~10 servings
YOU WILL NEED:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, diced
1 cup vodka
2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 pint heavy cream

You will also need a pot, like a Dutch oven, to cook your sauce in, as well as some pasta or tortellini or ravioli so that you have something to put this sauce on! But to be honest, it's so delicious, you might just want to eat it by itself with a piece of bread!

1. In a pot over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft.

2. Pour in vodka; let cook for 10 minutes.

3. Mix in crushed tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes (if you are making any sort of pasta, you might want to start it at this time as well).

5. Spoon over your choice of pasta and enjoy!

I made pipette pasta with sauteed sausage to enjoy with the vodka sauce. I always like to add a little bit of meat or veggies whenever I'm making pasta. That way I don't feel so bad about eating so much pasta.

I'm labeling this as "lots of leftovers" and "pot luck". Because this sauce makes a big batch, it's perfect when you're feeding a lot of people! Plus this sauce freezes really well, so don't be hesitant about making the whole batch, even if you're not feeding a crowd!

Until next time: eat, drink and be merry!