Nick & Toni's Penne alla Vecchia Bettola (Penne with Tomato Vodka Sauce)

By KDCooks

This recipe is from Nick & Toni's, a popular restaurant in the Hamptons. It's their signature dish, obtained while traveling in Italy twenty years ago (from Vecchia Bettola), and served in the restaurant ever since.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes (I used Cento Italian peeled tomatoes)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream (I use half & half)
• Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.


Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.


Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.


Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.