Bella’s Pink Sauce

Oh Marone a Mia!  My creamy vodka sauce is one of those recipes that feels a little fancy but couldn’t be easier to make. With a restaurant-style finish, it’s cozy, thick and creamy, and the kind of sauce you’ll want to keep in your back pocket for pasta nights, date nights, and everything in between. This is great on any kind of pasta, but I LOVED it over some chicken cutlets.

You will need:

4 tbsp olive oil

½ large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2  tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup vodka

1½ cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz each)

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley finely minced

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or saucepan, then add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, being careful not to let it burn. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, then stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for another 15–30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the vodka and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes to cook off the alcohol, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes ( more if you have time, I like about 30-45 minutes), stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream, cooking gently for 2–3 minutes until smooth and combined, then remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and fully incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning, and finish with parsley.