Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 C butter (8Tbs) 
• 1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup vodka (good stuff that you would use for shots – see recommendations)
• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley (1 T if dried)
• 2 T fresh basil, chiffonade (1 T dried)

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft.
2. Pour in vodka, deglaze and let cook for 10 minutes.
3. Mix in crushed tomatoes & herbs and stir and cook for 30 minutes.
   1. If you like your sauce extra smooth, use an immersion blender before you add the cream.
4. Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 30 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary, you don’t want to burn the cream.
   1. Start salting it until you get it right.

Notes

• You can finish your pasta in here and then plate with a little more chiffonade basil. 
• Cook your seafood and mix in separately – cooked seafood in the sauce will shorten the shelf-life considerably.
• Refrigerate for a week, freeze for a month
• Works very well with most pasta dishes, especially seafood and other light meat
  • Mushroom medley if doing vegetarian

Don’t underestimate mushrooms. The right mix, properly cooked, can come very close to seafood in flavor and mouthfeel.

Love, Jimi

Recommendations

• Tomatoes: San Marzano
• Vodka: Ultimat, Effin, Grey Goose
• Mushroom: Oyster, shitake