Penne with Vodka Sauce and Italian Sausage

I remember the first time I had vodka sauce, I believe it was after seeing an Oprah episode about it. And I was in heaven. I still have no clue what the vodka does that makes it so much more amazing than your regular tomato-cream sauce. I thought adding sausage and trying a new recipe for vodka sauce seemed like it would be a winner in my house. To my shock, Miss F was not a huge fan of the sausage, but she loved the pasta. I really liked this sauce recipe, it was incredibly easy and didn't use much vodka at all, which leaves more for drinking. Thanks to Janet for the great recipe!

Penne with Vodka Sauce and Italian Sausage

¼ cup olive oil
4 links Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
¾ teaspoon salt
1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons vodka
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Fry the sausage for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown. Add tomatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne according to package directions. Drain. Add vodka and cream to sauce and bring to a boil. Remove sausage from sauce and slice. Stir pasta and sliced sausage into the sauce; cook over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in basil and serve.

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