Penne alla Vodka (With or without the Vodka)
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Penne Alla Vodka – without the vodka! (A lightened-up version.)
This is a lightened-up version of Penne alla Vodka.
I don’t keep Vodka around too much, so I usually just omit it.
Tastes great without it, but I guess I should be calling it Penne sans Vodka… 😉
I figured out the calories in this recipe using the recipe calorie counter in myfitnesspal. If you get 6 servings out of the recipe, it would be 311 calories and if you get 8 servings it would be only 233 calories. Adding 2 oz of Vodka only adds about 130 calories to the whole dish. (I’ve made it both ways and don’t see a big difference in flavor with or without the vodka…)
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Penne alla Vodka (With or without the Vodka)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 1/4 cup of chicken broth (if needed)
- Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cups half n half
- 14 oz box of penne or rigatoni pasta
- 1/4 cup dry parmesan cheese
- (optional- pre-cooked chicken)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet; sauté the onions for about 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and sauté another 3 minutes or so, until golden brown.
- Add crushed tomatoes to the saucepan. (Be sure to start with a pan large enough to hold the entire recipe.)
- Stir in the oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper.
- Simmer about 30 minutes. If your tomato mixture seems dry, add a little bit of chicken broth.
- Meanwhile, start your pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well
- After the sauce has simmered, add the half n half to the tomato mixture; stir to mix. (If you wanted to add a bit of pre-cooked chicken, add it in after you have mixed in the half n half)
- Add cooked pasta to the tomato cream mixture, mix well, and top with parmesan cheese.
Optional vodka: If you wanted to add 2 oz of Vodka, add in after the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
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