Fresh Tomato Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka
I thought I was out of tomatoes from the rescue produce boxes. I remembered the vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. This is something where I made my fresh tomato pasta sauce and turned it into this sauce. I also had some fresh ricotta cheese that I had made, and I added it to this recipe. Normally, I add Parmesan to the sauce, but I think I like the lighter cheese when it's hot. As for pesto, I adore fresh pesto. With my broken wrist, I only have my perennials and a couple of tomatoes this year. But I found jars of pesto at the Dollar Tree in Show Low. I checked the ingredients, nothing weird, so I'm going to try it in this recipe.
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Fresh Tomato Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, minced
pink salt and black pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1/4 cup of vodka
1/4 cup basil pesto
1 cup of milk
1 lb. pk of penne
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup Parmesan (I added fresh ricotta this time) + more to garnish
garnish with fresh basil (optional)
Makes 6 servings.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the oregano, basil, and fresh tomato pasta sauce. Cook until the sauce reduces by half. Stir in the vodka and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the pesto and the cream. Turn the heat to low and simmer while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta a minute or two less than the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, reserving the water to thin out the vodka sauce if needed. Add the butter and Parmesan cheese to the sauce. Toss the pasta into the sauce, cook it for a minute or two to finish the pasta in the sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese garnish on top.
As for the Dollar Tree Basil Pesto...It tasted like any other jarred pesto. I would highly recommend!
Life is a combination of magic and pasta.
- Federico Fellini
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