Big Joe’s Penne Vodka [Recipe]

One of the humbling experiences that I have had throughout my career is to host many charity events. One of those special charities is The Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean counties, which as you might know, received a portion of the proceeds from the cookbook these recipes came from.

At these events I get to meet many people who give a tremendous amount of themselves to help those that need it the most. Gina Petillo is one of those people. I see her and her husband at so many charitable functions throughout New Jersey.

Gina is a friend who gets involved in the charities that she supports. She is one of those pro-active people who enjoys thinking and acting “outside the box.” She and I were named Co-Humanitarians of the Year for the Foodbank back in 2006 and I tell you, I was truly honored to be named with her for that terrific award.

I asked Gina to send me one of her favorite recipes for my cookbook and thankfully she did. Thanks Gina for all that you do for those who need it here in New Jersey and thanks for sharing your terrific dish.

You will need:

1 medium onion, diced

3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped basil

1 cup red sauce (homemade preferred, but you can use store bought in a jar)

1⁄2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1⁄4 cup vodka

1 pound or bag of penne pasta

How to put it together:

Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat. When it starts to turn golden, add garlic and basil. Add a few shots worth of the vodka off the flame then return with the pan tilted to ignite and flambé until flame goes out. Continue until all vodka has been burned off. To this mixture add red sauce, heavy cream, salt and pepper and Romano cheese. Blend mixture and cook over low flame or heat.

In a separate pot, boil water with a drop of olive oil in it. When water comes to a boil, add penne pasta and cook approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until desired texture is achieved.

Drain pasta and pour vodka sauce mixture over it. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6 people. Serve with extra grated Romano cheese and Italian bread. Delicious!