Baked Penne Vodka with Chiles and Basil Breadcrumbs
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Baked Penne Vodka with Chiles and Basil Breadcrumbs
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From ingredients to enjoyment, this recipe makes it easy to create something wonderful.
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Ingredients
For the vodka sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 26- ounce strained tomatoes box, Pomì brand
- 1/4 cup vodka good quality
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the white sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk whole
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- nutmeg small pinch, grated
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
For the basil breadcrumbs:
- 2 cups breadcrumbs fresh
- 1 1/2 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the baked pasta:
- 1 pound penne pasta dried
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- basil chopped, fresh
- 2 red chile peppers seeded and sliced, Fresno variety used
Instructions
To make the vodka sauce, warm olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and cook until soft (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add strained tomatoes, vodka and a couple of pinches of salt. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt, then set aside.
To make the white sauce, warm butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Sprinkle flour over the surface of the butter, and then stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns light golden and takes on a nutty aroma (1 - 2 minutes). Whisk in the milk gradually, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of heavy cream (8 - 10 minutes). Take the sauce off the heat, and stir in Parmesan, nutmeg, a couple pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (do this while you are cooking the white sauce). Cook the pasta until just before al dente (2 to 3 minutes shy of the package instructions). The pasta should have some good bite to it, but no crunch. Drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot, then fold in most of the vodka sauce. You should have about 1/2 cup sauce leftover for another use. Continue folding until the pasta is well coated. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Spoon half of the white sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the pasta, 1/2 of the mozzarella, a grating of Parmesan, a sprinkling of chopped basil and 1/2 the sliced chiles. Start the next layer with the remaining white sauce, remaining pasta, remaining mozzarella, a grating of Parmesan and the remaining chiles. Combine breadcrumb ingredients in a small bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top pasta with an even layer of breadcrumbs.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the sides start to bubble (about 20 minutes). Turn the broiler to high, put the baking dish under the flame, then cook until the breadcrumbs turn golden (3 to 4 minutes). Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy with extra chopped basil and black pepper!
Notes
- *This baked pasta can be prepared through Step 5 up to 1 day in advance. Just leave the breadcrumbs off until just before baking. Cover and store in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, take the baking dish from the fridge, uncover, top with breadcrumbs and transfer directly to the preheated oven. You'll need to bake for a little longer.
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