Creamy Pink Sauce Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup vegetable stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Flour as needed

Instructions:


1. Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes

2. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper

3. While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it)

4. Stir cream into sauce. If sauce appears to be too thin, add a tablespoon of flour to thicken repeating as many times as necessary. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves

Courtesy of Rachael Ray, Food Network