Pancetta and Pasta with Vodka Sauce

When Erin got back from her trip to Texas, I wanted to cook her up a great special meal just like I did last time. It'd been awhile since we'd had any yummy creamy pasta sauce, so I decided to try something that sounds delectable, vodka sauce. The first step in making vodka sauce is to make a marinara sauce. Begin by getting 1 large can of whole tomatoes, 1 large can of crushed tomatoes, and one small can of tomato paste. Chop and sauté two red onions over medium heat in olive oil until brown. Combine all the tomatoes into the pan with some oregano and/or other italian seasonings. And then, the hardest part, wait two hours. I know it's tough, but it's so worth the wait.

In a separate pan, heat up some olive oil on medium heat. Dice up 1/3 lb of pancetta. I had to go to the deli at whole foods and ask them to slice it as thick as they could. Toss the small pieces onto the pan and let them cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup of the hard stuff (medium-shelf vodka), and let it sizzle for 2 minutes.

Now comes the fun part. Add a few healthy ladlefuls of your marinara sauce over the cooked pancetta. On top of that, pour a 1/4 of heavy whipping cream.

Whisk it all together until you get that beautiful creamy orange color and let it sit for 5-10 minutes as you boil up some pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, and dump it right into the pan with the sauce and pancetta to completely coat the pasta in sauce.

It's pretty killer.