Author Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by America's Test Kitchen
Equipment
Food Processor or Immersion Blender
Small Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan
Large pot
Ingredients
128 oz can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
2tbspolive oil
½small sweet yellow onionminced
1tbsptomato paste
¼tspcrushed red pepper flakes
2clovesof garlicminced
⅓cupvodka
½cupheavy cream
1lbfettuccinecooked in salted water, per instructions
2tbspfresh basilminced
Parmesangrated, for serving
Instructions
Drain the tomato juice and set it aside.
Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor or with an immersion blender, until smooth.
Dice the remaining half of the tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding the cores.
Combine the pureed and diced tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups).
Add the reserved tomato juice to equal 2 cups total.
Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat until shimmering.
Add the minced onion, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until the onion is lightly golden.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the vodka.
Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat up to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until the alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 -10 minutes; stir frequently and lower the heat to medium if the simmering becomes too vigorous.
Stir in the cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water, per package instructions just shy of al dente.
Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Add the pasta to the vodka sauce and toss to coat evenly over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce, 1 - 2 minutes.
Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved water if needed.