Tomato Vodka Sauce

Mmmmm.....I love tomato vodka sauce.  This recipe is super easy and so much better than jarred store-bought sauce.  It has a great flavor, and I have used it for the past couple of years whenever I need tomato vodka sauce.  The recipe makes quite a bit of sauce so I would recommend using half of it when you make it and freeze the other half for a later time.  This time, I served the sauce with gnocchi, but you could use this with any pasta. 

You can easily add some sauteed shrimp or cooked italian sausage with this sauce for a heartier meal, and you can change up the ingredients to fit your own tastes.  The original recipe called for canned diced tomatoes, which you can use if you like a chunky sauce.  I kind of prefer my tomato vodka sauce to be smooth and creamy so that's why I used canned tomato sauce (or you could also use canned crushed tomatoes).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or a little more if you like your sauce spicy)
salt and pepper to taste
gnocchi or pasta and parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt better with oil; add onion and saute for around 6-8 minutes or until transparent.  Add the minced garlic and saute for about 2 more minutes.

2. Add tomato sauce and cook for about 15-20 minutes; stir frequently.

3.  Increase heat and add cream, vodka and red pepper flakes; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened to sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with cooked gnocchi or your favorite pasta, and add some parmesan cheese for extra flavor :)

Source:  Slightly adapted from allrecipes