Spaghetti with Vodka Cream Tomato Sauce

The first time I had this spaghetti recipe, my friend JJ made it for me. It’s not everyday the chef of said recipe invites you over for dinner to sample the food for yourself. Best pasta I’ve ever tasted. This is not a joke. If you make nothing else I ever post, make this.

I thought at first it might have been the overall dining experience or JJ’s company that made me love it even more {I mean, the lady is awesome}, so I went home and made it myself. Nope, just as awesome the second time. It wasn’t a fluke. There were no leftovers. There might have been a fight for the last scoop. There might have been some plate licking. It’s that kind of good.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups water or broth
1 quart chopped, canned tomatoes
1 pint pizza sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
1 pound dry spaghetti, broken
1/3 cup vodka
2/3 cup heavy cream {I used 2% milk because I didn’t have cream}
Precooked meat, optional {you can add ground beef, sausage or meatballs}
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. When tender, stir in the pizza sauce, chopped tomatoes, liquid, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. When the spaghetti is al dente, add the vodka and cream and return to a simmer. Add the precooked meat and fresh basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. Enjoy.