Spicy Sausage Pasta alla Vodka

This recipe is inspired by my favorite dish at the restaurant, North Italia. I hope you love it too!

Servings 6

8 ounces short-cut noodles of choice such as rotini, rigatoni or farfelle (can use GF)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 pound hot italian sausage
½ yellow onion diced into ¼” pieces
4 cloves garlic minced
24 ounces tomato basil pasta sauce I like Rao’s the best
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons tomato paste* sub 3 tablespoons ketchup and reduce brown sugar to 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons vodka (optional)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
Freshly grated parmesan to taste

Cook noodles al dente (the lowest suggested time) according to package directions, with 1 teaspoon salt in the water. Set aside.
Heat a large, high-sided skillet or dutch oven to medium heat. Allow to heat one minute, then add sausage. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon or firm spatula, until golden brown around the edges, 8-10 minutes. Add meat to a heat-proof bowl.
Add ⅓ cup water and onions to the pan and stir to deglaze any brown bits from the bottom. Saute until onions are softened and translucent, 4-6 minutes, then add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
Add pasta sauce, then add a splash of water to the jar, shake and pour that in as well. Add brown sugar, tomato paste, vodka (if using), remaining ½ teaspoon salt, oregano, basil, onion powder and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir to incorporate, then remove from heat. Wait 2 minutes, then stir in heavy cream, then sausage and noodles. Carefully, gently, fold to incorporate everything.
Add parmesan to taste and enjoy immediately! Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing, but you could make and freeze just the meat sauce.

*NOTE: buy tomato paste in a tube instead of a can so you can easily save it in the fridge for future use. You can also freeze it.

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: bolognese, comfort food, family dinner, Gluten Free, glutenfree, healthy dinner, healthy takeout, pasta alla vodka, spicy