Vodka Penne Pork Ragu

This is one of my absolute favourite weeknight pasta dishes, its Vodka Penne with a bit of a twist. I’ve added some pork sausage to give the creamy sauce a meaty ragu and it really is the ultimate comfort food.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g sausage meat, removed from skin
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp vodka
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée
• 250ml double cream
• 350g penne pasta
• 25g parmesan, finely grated
• Large handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the sausage and using a wooden spoon break it up into smaller pieces, fry for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Add the fennel seeds to this along with the garlic.
2. Add the vodka followed by the tomatoes, tomato purée and cream, stirring to combine. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced a little. Season to taste with sea salt & black pepper.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Season with salt and once boiled, add the penne pasta, cooking according to packed instructions. Once the pasta has cooked, stir it through the sauce with the sausage meat. Add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if required. Serve in bowls topped with the parmesan, parsley, and black pepper.