once again - recipe time

Tiny House meatylicious vodka sauce


Once again, the Tiny House, who has recently been undergoing a kitchen renovation, has begun to smell like someone loves it. This recipe is one reason why.

If you have about 40 minutes to hang out and cook, give this sucker a shot - from start to eating it took just about that much time and is yummy. This recipe is presented 'stepwise,' with ingredients listed in italics. I hear it's the new thing in recipes. I'm all for it, as it obviates the need for producing a long list of ingredients right off the bat. Efficient!

Serves 4, probably.

1. Start a big pot of water to boiling.
2. While that's getting going, fry up a pound of lean ground beef. When that's about half done and busted up into little nommy chunks, throw in a diced onion, a half a green pepper also diced, and three cloves of mashed garlic in with the meat. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until onions are translucent.
3. Add 2 tsp dry parsley, 1 tsp dry oregano. 1 tsp dry basil, 1/2 tsp ground pepper (also dry!), stir, and let cook for a minute.
4. Add a small can of tomato paste, sans can, and stir into meat mixture.
5. Add 1/2 cup light half and half to meat, let cook until no moisture remains (about 4 minutes).
6. Dump a jar of prepared sauce on top of all that, stir, then add 1/4 cup good vodka and the 'rinsing' of the sauce jar (about 1/4 cup water swished around in the jar to get all the stubborn sauce off the sides and into the pan) to the pan. Stir again, turn heat to low, and simmer.
7. By this time the pasta water should be boiling. Add 8 oz dry spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 8-10 mins until tender. Drain, return to pot, coat with a little olive oil.
8. Serve sauce over pasta. In individual bowls. or plates - you pick. Just not in the pasta pot. That would be wildly inefficient, unless you're cooking for one, then have at it you hedonist!
   
9. Enjoy!

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I was surprised how fast this cooked up, and how tasty it was without adding any salt or much in the way of herbs. I suppose the cream and booze had something to do with it. :) Cream and booze pretty much make anything better, wouldn't you agree?