Let me preface by saying that this penne with vodka sauce is probably Mike’s new favourite pasta. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s THAT good, or because we ate it at 8:30 after skipping lunch and installing the railing on our deck. We were kind of starving at that point!
Penne with vodka sauce has always been a favourite of mine, and not just because of the vodka. There is just something so right about a tomato cream sauce over pasta. However not just pasta, but freshly made pasta!
While this is the third and last recipe I will be posting as a result of my time spent trying out the Philips Avance Pasta Maker, it certainly won’t be the last time I use that machine. We are totally hooked on fresh pasta. The machine has made it so easy to use that my son makes pasta with it now. He loves using it!
The Philips Pasta Maker automatically mixes, kneads and extrudes the pasta through your chosen pasta disc. You simply cut the pasta at your desired length and away you go!
Now, I did find that for the penne pasta I had to do it my way instead of following the recipe and manual exactly and because you are making a hollow pasta, the dough must be just right. It took me a couple of tries to master the dough (and that might be because we are in the middle of a crazy humid, rainy week) but once I did, it was gangbusters!
I also found that laying the long tubes out and letting them dry slightly for an hour helped when I cut them into smaller pieces, they didn’t stick as much. If you don’t have a non-stick surface, make sure to flour it before you lay the pasta on it!
Penne success! I used program 2 on the Pasta Maker that makes around 500-600 grams of pasta.
Now, my penne and vodka sauce has over a pound of ground Italian sausage in it and that makes all the difference. Yes, you can make it without for a vegetarian version, but the real amazing flavour comes from the ground sausage.You can also leave out the vodka if wanted, it’s an extremely versatile recipe!
Happy cooking all!
Karlynn
Penne with Vodka Sauce & Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 500-600 grams of fresh penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 375 gram package of mild or spicy Italian Sausage
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 796 ml can of crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vodka
- ½ cup whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese flakes to top
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes (the penne are quite thick and takes a while to cook!) until it reaches your desired doneness.
- In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil then fry the ground Italian sausage until cooked. Add in the garlic and sauté for two minutes until browned.
- Drain the grease (some people prefer to keep the grease in, the choice is up to you).
- Add in the tomatoes and sugar. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Mix in the vodka and the whipping cream.
- Bring to a boil again and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add in the pasta, toss to coat.
- Serve with Parmesan on top.
m says
I would try to make spaghetti for carbonara.
Natalie says
I would love to make linguine using this pasta maker!
Michelle Policelli says
I would definitely try making Penne pasta first with this pasta maker!
christine w says
I would love to try to make spaghetti for carbonara!
Dan Dykstra says
I like angel hair pasta. Not sure if it can make thin noodles.
Vanessa says
Have always wanted to try making homemade pasta!
Leona says
I would have to try spaghetti first……however the penne with vodka sauce looks absolutely fabulous.
Rachel says
I would like to make linguine with this machine first.
Juli Smith says
I would make any and every kind of pasta I could think of! My five kids love pasta ????
Cassandra says
Excited to try this on the weekend!
Bonnie says
I would love to make sun dried tomato fettucine with this pasta maker
Linda Hoang says
I would make exactly what you made! YUM!
Bianca Tang says
i’d love to try any kind of pasta! ive never made homemade pasta before
Sandra Routliffe says
I’d love to try making spaghetti – it looks like so much fun!