« Pacific Northwest: Taste

Penne Alla Vodka

Serves 4

3/4 pound penne rigate 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 pound pancetta, sliced thin and chopped 1/3 cup vodka 1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce 1/2 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano as garnish 1. Start a pot of salted water boiling. In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When it foams, add the pancetta and sauté for about 6 minutes or until slightly crisp. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the vodka. Cook for three minutes, stirring regularly. Add the marinara sauce and cream to the skillet. 2. Put the pasta into the pot of boiling water. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally and adding salt and pepper to taste, until the pasta is just barely al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir it together with the sauce for a minute or two, transfer to a hot bowl and serve with the grated Parmigiano. Wow. Cook's Notes: • Pancetta is unsmoked Italian-style bacon; it's available at many groceries and specialty markets. • When my wife and I had some non-pork-oriented friends over, I made this recipe with diced white mushrooms instead of pancetta and conchiglie rigate shells instead of penne. It was almost as good, and I think wild mushrooms would have inflated our sentiment from mere elation to bliss.