Penne with Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce Recipe

I love this recipe because it is simple to make but the results are delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package whole-wheat blend penne pasta (i.e. Barilla Plus®)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon minced or chopped garlic
• 28 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes (or similar)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 cup fat free half and half
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Start a large pot of lightly salted water boiling. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, start heating the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender (about 2-3 minutes). Stir in the canned tomatoes (breaking up the tomatoes with a fork if using canned whole tomatoes). Stir in the crushed red pepper (if desired), basil, salt and pepper, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 8-10 minutes more.
3. Stir in the vodka and simmer 10 minutes more. Stir the fat-free half-and-half and milk into the tomato mixture and let the mixture simmer another 8-10 minutes. Toss the sauce with the hot penne pasta and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Yield:

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Information:

per serving: 420 calories, 20 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 3.6 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 10.5 g fiber, 320 mg sodium (not included any salt to taste). Calories from fat: 14 percent.