another cooking adventure

Question: What's missing from this picture?

Answer: VODKA!

Question: Are you serious?

Answer: Yes. Very.

Recently I've been trying to cook new things more often, which is why you'll probably be seeing more posts like this. The good news for you is that I'll only be posting the things that worked out well... and not the things that don't turn out. Like the cupcakes I attempted last weekend... I still don't know what happened. Maybe I never will. Life is, indeed, a mystery.

Today I was going back and forth... and back again... and forth again (you get the picture) about what I wanted to try to make for dinner. I finally decided to try making homemade Vodka Sauce. Say what? Yes, Vodka Sauce. I've had it out of a jar only a few times, but it's terrific. Tonight, I made it from scratch and served it over gnocchi with sides of shrimp sauteed with garlic and garlic toast. Now that I think about the menu, there was a lot of garlic involved in today's activity... oh well, can you ever have too much garlic?

In the end, it turned out very well, so I'll share the recipe with you. It's great over gnocchi (found in the store by the pastas) or with pasta (penne is always good.)

Vodka Sauce

1/2 c. butter

1 medium onion

2-3 garlic cloves

1 c. vodka

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomato

1 pint heavy cream

Using a large, deep skillet, melt the butter and saute the garlic and diced onion until onion is soft. Add vodka, cook for 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir well. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add heavy cream and stir well. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over gnocchi, penne, or any other type of pasta you enjoy.

That's all! It makes a LOT, so consider cutting it in half if your cooking for just a few people. Otherwise, make the full recipe and freeze the leftover. Feel free to add a little more Italian seasoning if you want. I only had 3/4 teaspoon left, so went with what was available. It turned out well! And looks a little something like this:

If you have recommendations for something I should try sometime, I'd love to hear it! You can post a comment or email me the recipe. Enjoy!