Penne alla Vodka #HuntsHolidayHappiness #ad

Penne alla Vodka is easy, elegant comfort food. Perfect for those busy nights around the holidays! Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper.  All opinions are my own.

Penne alla Vodka

I have the world’s pickiest eater in my household. You loyal readers may know about my husband and how he feigns allergies to mushrooms, nuts, pineapple, etc. just to avoid eating those ingredients. But my daughter is even worse! So when I find a dish she loves, it makes its way into our meal rotation. This  simple and delicious Penne alla Vodka is a frequent birthday dinner request. Katie often picks a crazy complicated birthday cake, like the red velvet checkerboard number this year, so an easy main dish is welcomed. Creamy with a hit of heat, this classic Italian pasta is truly a winner. Did you know alcohol is a flavor enhancer like salt? The vodka will evaporate during the cooking process, but magically intensifies the deliciousness along the way.

Hunt’s: From Farm to Table

Days get crazy around the holidays, so it’s important to sit down as a family and enjoy a home cooked meal. My goal is to prepare a simple meal, with quality ingredients, that will elicit smiles with every tasty bite.  Hunt’s tomatoes are grown in the rich soil of Oakdale, California, by dedicated farmers.  Since 1888, Hunt’s has been bringing the purest tomatoes from farm to table; not all canned tomatoes can tout that! Peeled using FlashSteam instead of chemicals, Hunt’s products are good for the soil (no chemical by-products) and good for your health*.  Their method might not be the easiest way, but Hunt’s believes that it’s the right way, the natural way. 

Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes

I picked up Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes at my local Walmart. Walmart has a large area of very reasonably priced Hunt’s products in the aisle with canned tomatoes. These tomatoes are easy to find, inexpensive and nestled with a wide array of Hunt’s tomato products.  Petite Diced Tomatoes eliminate the need for chopping which helps streamline dinner prep. Just open the can and add the perfectly diced tomatoes and juices into the saucepan. It’s a hectic time of year, and we all need comfort food that takes little time to get on the table. Make sure to stop at Walmart and stock your pantry. I hope you’ll add this Penne alla Vodka to your menu!

Penne alla Vodka

Serves 6 servings     adjust servings

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

A quick creamy tomato and vodka pasta sauce served with penne.

Ingredients

• 2 14.5-ounce cans Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Start water boiling, add enough salt to make water taste briny and cook penne according to package instructions
2. While pasta water is heating up, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and shallots and cook till soft. Add tomatoes and their juices plus crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes. Add vodka and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes (longer if you want to ensure all alcohol has evaporated). Stir in cream and basil, then add drained pasta. Mix in Parmesan. Gently heat until sauce is hot.
3. Serve immediately. Pass extra Parmesan to top pasta if desired.

by Liz Berg

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 468kcal Calories from fat 155
% Daily Value
Total Fat 17g	26%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 37mg	12%
Sodium 570mg	24%
Carbohydrate 57g	19%
Dietary Fiber 11g	44%
Sugars 9g
Protein 16g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g

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*Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which may be linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and age-related eye disorders.