Did someone say Vodka Pasta Sauce? My recipe for this phenomenal sauce answers what to do with overflowing baskets of harvested homegrown juicy tomatoes . So skip the store bought sauces and go for the fresh taste of in-season tomatoes. Turn those red ripe beauties into a scrumptious sauce over your favorite pasta. Feed my family penne or rigatoni smothered with vodka sauce and you will see the fastest fork to mouth contest ever!
While other pasta sauces have a lot to offer, this recipe brings out new flavors from your tomatoes. The alcohol in the vodka (and its harsh taste) cooks away and leaves behind a flavor that can only be described as savory, sweet and spicy. The splash of cream at the end results in a rich vibrant and delectable pasta sauce!
I love to preserve my vegetables throughout the year, as many of you know from reading my blogs. This recipe is great for water bath canning. Just leave out the cream and add it in when you are ready to heat your sauce. My fabulous Vodka Pasta Sauce will then be available in jars in your pantry at all times. In addition, as an added bonus, you will wow your friends by gifting them a jar of your amazing sauce!
Homemade Harvest Vodka Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 6 pounds tomatoes
- 2 sprigs basil leaves fresh
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice bottled
- 2 tablespoons cream per quart prior to serving
Instructions
- Add onion, garlic, vodka, water, salt and pepper to stockpot. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Wash the tomatoes, core and chop coarsely. Add tomatoes to pot.
- Bring pot back to boil, reduce heat down to a simmer, and let simmer uncovered until both tomatoes and onions are very soft.
- Press tomato mixture in small batches through food mill and discard skin and seeds.
- Put strained mixture back in pot and add basil.
- Put heat to medium high and let cook until volume of the sauce is reduce by half or to desired thickness. Approximately 1 hour or more.
- Remove basil and add lemon juice.
- Ladle sauce into heated jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace and seal with lids. Process jars for 40 minutes in boiling water bath. Let jars cool and store in cool, dark place for up to one year.
- Add two tablespoons of cream per quart prior to serving.