Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium spanish onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 (28 ounce) cans plum tomatoes, whole (san marzano are nice, but not necessary)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb penne pasta (i've even used whole wheat)
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup cashews, raw, unsalted
• 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened (soymilk ok too)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 2 heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
• 3 add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.
• 4 meanwhile, add the tomatoes and crush them into the pan with your hands. add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper.
• 5 cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• 6 while the sauce simmers in the oven, prepare the cream:.
• 7 add cashews and non dairy milk to a blender and blend until completely pureed and smooth, set aside.
• 8 remove tomato sauce from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
• 9 place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency (or if you have an immersion blender, that would work well here). return to the pan.
• 10 reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough cashew cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency.
• 11 add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 12 meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. drain.
• 13 toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more.