Ingredients

o   3-4 tbsp olive oil (can add more as needed)

o   4 cloves garlic, minced

o   2 shallots, finely diced

o 1 tsp red pepper flakes

o ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced

o   2 6 oz cans of tomato paste

o   ½ cup vodka

o   1 cup heavy cream*

o   ¼ cup fresh herbs, coarsely chopped (I recommend basil and parsley)**

o   ¼ cup parmesan, finely grated (optional)

o   ¼ cup pasta water

o   salt

o   pepper

Directions

1.     In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2.     Add in the garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent (~ 5 minutes).

3.     Add in the red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste then stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.

4.     Add in the vodka and stir to combine. Cook for 3 more minutes or until the vodka has cooked off.

5.     Stir in the heavy cream, herbs, and parmesan, then season with salt and pepper.

6.     Finally, add in the pasta water. I generally only use ¼ cup of it, but you can add more if you like a thinner sauce or want to cut more of the tomato flavor. Keep warm in the skillet until ready to use in lasagne, over pasta, or with eggplant meatballs.

Notes

*You can substitute the heavy cream with half & half or whole milk, but the flavor is definitely better with heavy cream.

**If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried herbs (start with ~2 tsps total then adjust as needed).