- 500g/1lb2oz pack of short dried pasta, such as farfalle, penne or fusilli
- 200ml/7fl oz (approx.) jar of good quality tomato passata
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 5 leaves fresh basil
- 200ml/7fl oz of single cream
- 1 small glass of vodka
- 60g/2oz of butter
- 1 tbsp crushed pepper
- salt
- 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
- To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and fry gently until golden.
- Add the jar of tomato passata and season with salt and pepper. Add several fresh basil leaves and cook gently for about 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente . Drain well .
- Meanwhile, in a large frying pan melt the butter, add the crushed pepper and the drained pasta. Toss well, making sure that all the pasta is well coated with butter. Keep the heat high and toss the pasta with a spatula, while adding the tomato sauce and the cream. Add the glass of vodka, toss again and turn the heat off; if the vodka evaporates, you will loose the taste of it.
- Sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.