Vodka for dinner

I don't really like pasta, primarily because I completely overdosed on it in college (it was cheap and easy to prepare). Back then, I pretty much made it with any sauce you could think of(and some you would never think of). If I had my parents over for dinner, I thought I was pretty much a gourmet chef by making pasta with chicken and Italian dressing. These days I'm a little more adventurous and am trying to branch out from my college cooking days.

With the help of my friend Steph, I made a delicious Vodka sauce that I thought I would share:

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup vodka

8 oz of chopped pancetta

15oz plain tomato sauce

8oz of marscarpone cheese

1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan

Melt the butter until it browns. Add the pancetta and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the vodka and cook until it evaporates, roughly 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another 5 minutes then add the marscarpone cheese until it is melted within the sauce. At this point, the sauce will turn a pinkish/orange color. Prior to serving, add the parmesan.

I served the sauce with penne and it was a hit! This by far was the best red sauce I've had!

I also served the pasta with roasted garlic and fresh bread. To make the garlic take 1 large garlic bulb and slice off the top. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom portion (the garlic cloves) and replace the top part of the bulb. Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. You will know it's ready when the garlic cloves are mushy and spreadable.

YUM!