Dim Sum Sunday - Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

Well, this week it turns out there's no soccer - woo hoo. But I have a lot of work to do instead, so it's the net same result as soccer - no time to do an elaborate Dim Sum Sunday dinner. So I'm doing an easy pasta and sauce dish. I got several recipes from Allrecipe.com and created the one below.

Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce (Modified from Allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed cayenne pepper flakes
2 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil

4 tablespoons vodka
11 cup light whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 strips crispy bacon

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, bacon and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!

I had to make a last minute substitution of ham for the bacon. I had leftover bacon from breakfast this morning but, unfortunately, the boy found it. This came out great with a bunch leftover for the freezer. The Mrs., the boy and the pudge all seemed to enjoy it. It was easy and I'll probably make it again. Bon Appetito.