“I serve my pasta in the gorgeous Azzura range of servingware. From the moment I saw this collection, I knew I had to make a red pasta sauce, as the red compliments the subtle notes of brown and pink so perfectly!”
- Daen Lia

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 140g tomato paste
• 100ml vodka
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
• 50g unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt
• 500g penne pasta

Method

1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to the boil and cook your pasta according to the instructions on the back of the packet. For al dente pasta drain your pasta 2 minutes before the end of suggested cooking time, as it will continue to cook when it’s stirred through the sauce. Reserve 1/2 - 1 cup of pasta water.
2. In a deep dish pan on a low flame, heat the olive oil and fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Stir occasionally to stop the garlic from burning. Add the oregano and chili flakes and fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. In the same pan on a high heat, fry the tomato paste for 2 - 3 minutes or until it has caramalised, turned a deep red colour and is almost sticking to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the vodka. Cook until 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. Add in the cream and cook for 1 minute on a medium heat or until the cream has foamed and is bubbling. Turn the heat to low and stir the sauce with a pinch of salt until all ingredients are well combined.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix through with the pecorino romano and butter. Slowly incorporate the pasta water until the sauce is silky and glossy. Finish off with an extra sprinkling of cheese and chili flakes. Serve immediately.