Some days I get to wondering what would happen if a certain recipe went to a certain part of the globe. For example, what if my dad’s Penne alla Vodka recipe took a trip to Provence. It would probably encounter licorice-flavored fennel and juicy ripe tomatoes… and wine…it would definitely encounter wine. It would relax in the dry heat of Provence summers and splurge on some rich tasty meals- heavy cream laced meals, that is. It would pluck some fresh basil leaves from the herb garden and partake in salty, briny olives from the antipasto tray. They would have a family reunion and relish memories of how carby and creamy they all are. It would be glorious, wouldn’t it? Well, that’s what I did with this recipe. I added all the flavors of Provence to my favorite pasta dish, and it was delicious. Enjoy! 

Penne alla Vodka goes to Provence

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. box dried penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped small
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 28 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained and diced (discard the drained liquid)
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup black olives, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, for serving

Directions:

1. Cook penne according to package instructions, reserving ½ cup of starchy pasta water.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over med-high heat. Sauté fennel for 15 minutes until softened. Lower the heat if the fennel is beginning to brown. Add the shallot and garlic, lower the heat to med-low and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes until almost no liquid remains in the pan. You want to see a bit of browning on the bottom of the pan. This creates great flavor!
3. Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper along with the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, raise the heat to med-high heat, and cook for two minutes, scraping up any browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes, until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.

Now, you have choices to make- do you want to leave the sauce chunky or do you want to puree it slightly with an immersion blender or do you want it completely smooth by processing it in a food processor? The choice is entirely up to you. What is my preference you may ask? I’m Goldie Locks- I don’t like it too chunky or too smooth- because of that I use an immersion blender and thin out the sauce with a little starchy pasta cooking water. 

4. Using an immersion blender, puree sauce until it reaches desired consistency. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to be thinned out a bit after pureeing. Once pureed, stir in olives and fresh basil. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

Related Recipes: