Sun-dried tomatoes + vodka + cream equals this heavenly recipe! This is a perfect recipe to get out of a boring dinner rut. This dish is packed with flavors, it’s creamy, with the right amount of spiciness, topped with fragrant rosemary and pepper jack cheese. This pasta in the creamy sun dried tomato vodka sauce will surely please everyone!

The key component of this dish is the homemade vodka sauce made from scratch. If you’re wondering how to make a vodka sauce, it’s just a delightful mix of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and vodka. The flavor profile of the sauce is built by sautéing the onions and garlic with herbs and red pepper flakes. Then comes in the vodka. The vodka adds a great flavor and keeps the acidity of the tomatoes from causing the cream to break and separate. The alcohol content is the vodka is cooked off, leaving a finished sauce that has a soft, yummy zing to it. Then goes in the sun-dried tomatoes and san marzano tomatoes which are cooked on low heat to extract the maximum taste and flavor out of them. These are then blended to get a luscious looking sauce and a generous amount of cream goes in for the luxurious taste and wonderful texture.

I have gone for a few skinny swaps in the recipe, such as replacing the heavy cream in the sauce with the lite version and going for whole wheat pasta for an extra boost of fiber and proteins.

I am sure you’ll will love how quick and easy this recipe comes together and it tastes like you’ve been slaving away for hours in the kitchen. The smell emanating from your kitchen will definitely attract the attention  of hungry house dwellers!

The given recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

• 10 oz whole grain fusilli
• 1 (28oz) can san marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup low fat cream
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper as per taste
• pinch of sugar
• parmesan or pepper jack cheese to sprinkle on top
• fresh oregano leaves for garnish

Instructions

• To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to it. Add the pasta and boil until al dente.
• Heat some olive oil in a saucepan. Add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 8 – 10 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
• Add the vodka and raise the heat. Boil it for 5 minutes.
• Now add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes along with salt and pepper. Cover the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once done, uncover the lid and let it cook for another 15 minutes, stirring often.
• Then transfer the sauce to the blender and puree until smooth.
• Again transfer the puree to the saucepan, add a pinch of sugar and cook for 2 -3 minutes. Then stir in the cream and cook for 5 minutes on high.
• Once done cooking, taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle some fresh oregano leaves and cheese of your choice on the top. Serve hot!