I spent two weeks in Cincy caring for my aging father-in-law. When I arrived exhausted, and worse for the wear at my beloved friend's house we had had plans to go out, but instead she said, "Let's eat in. I can whip up a little something." She took this amazing sauce out of her freezer, heated it and poured it over a beautiful platter full of penne, dressed with some fresh basil sprigs (from her patio pots), and accompanied the meal with a beautiful plate of homegrown tomato slices, fresh mozzarella with a few more basil sprigs and drizzled on a little balsamic vinegarette. I was in "comfort food heaven."
Fabulous Pasta Sauce
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 slices proscuitto, 1/4 in. thick (or bacon or mushrooms or nothing)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. vodka
1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes (or more)
dash salt
one box of penne
freshly grated parmesan
Cut prosc into small pieces. Melt butter and saute prosc and garlic till lightly browned. Add tomatos, pepper flakes and salt and cook for 30 min. to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Watch that it does not burn at this stage. Keep partly covered so it can reduce. When it reduces to about 1/2, add heavy cream and vodka, bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes and serve over penne. Garnish with basil.
With friends who can do this - who needs the outside world?
