Gluten Free Penne Vodka

My favorite pasta recipe is Penne with Vodka Sauce. I serve this recipe for holidays and parties.This was my go-to pasta recipe for entertaining before I was gluten free. I hesitated to serve it to guests using gluten free pasta, but this sauce is so good that now I serve it all the time with gluten free pasta and everyone loves it! (If you live near a Trader Joe's try their gluten free rice pastas, the texture is great (you can cook these "al dente") and so is the price!)

When I was newly gluten free, I was "glutened" after drinking Cosmopolitans made with Raspberry flavored Vodka. I was so sick from it that afterwards I couldn't even tolerate the smell of Vodka!  I thought the Cosmo would be safe not realizing some vodkas had gluten in them. I stopped making this recipe for a long time. The thought of ingesting any kind of vodka just brought back that awful experience. Now, I only use potato based Vodka in this recipe.

This is such a quick and easy sauce to prepare, and will impress your guests every time! 

Penne with Vodka Sauce 

4 tbsps unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, diced

6 slices Italian Prosciutto, diced

1/2 cup Potato Vodka

1-28 oz can whole peeled or crushed tomatoes (I love San Marzano, they are so sweet!)

1 small can sweet baby peas

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt/pepper to taste

1 lb gluten free Penne pasta, cooked "al dente"

Melt butter & oil, add shallots and prosciutto, saute until softened. Add vodka, bring to a boil, then lower heat. Add tomatoes, salt/pepper, Simmer for 30 minutes. Add peas and cream just before serving. Serve over Penne pasta. 
(Print Recipe)

Isn't this a pretty color for Christmas Dinner?