Calabrian Chili Vodka Sauce

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil

• 1 T salt

• 1/2 spanish onion, sliced

• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 T calabrian chili pepper, chopped or 1 T of crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 c. tomato paste

• 1.5 c. crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 c. grated parmesan

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 c. vodka

• 6-10 basil leaves

Add olive oil to a sauce pan on medium low heat (level 4/5 heat out of 10). Add onions and garlic, 1 t of salt and cook until translucent and soft (3-5 mins). Add in your calabrian chili and tomato paste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the oils begin to leave the paste and it tastes less like ketchup and more like tomato. Stir every few minutes so there is no sticking or scorching. Add in the vodka to deglaze the pan, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to get all that good caramelization. Let reduce by 1/2. Add in your crushed tomatoes and mix. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in your heavy cream until it has an orange/pink hue. Taste for salt and heat, add more if necessary. The best way to check for seasoning is to taste throughout the cooking process. Add in your basil leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. If you like it as is, you can let it simmer here for another 5 minutes or so but I would suggest to take it off the heat, cool it for 5 minutes then transfer to a blender or blend with your stick blender, and blend until smooth. Add it back into your saucepan and cook for another 10 minutes on low (3/10) until it has beautifully thickened and become super creamy. Remove the sauce from the heat and right before serving, add in your parmesan cheese - stir to melt. If you’re cooking pasta along side it (which I hope you are), add a bit of pasta water to it and then finish cooking your pasta in the sauce for a beautifully married dish.