Penne Rigate alla Vodka

I have ALWAYS wanted to make this pasta dish but for some reason thought it required tons of time and preparation.  Not. at. all.  This took me 30 minutes tops!  This excited me so much because pasta is probably one of my favorite foods and this recipe was modified to be relatively healthy.  The boyfriend definitely had seconds!  This also yields a ton of leftovers (if your feeding a little family of 2 like me) which is great to have in the middle of a busy week.  This makes around 6 servings and is 356 calories, about 6 Weight Watchers points.  The quality and flavor of this meal is definitely worth every bite!  I loved the combination of tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil with a fun kick of red pepper while the vodka enhances the sweetness of the half and half.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

______________________________

Servings: 6

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 356

Fat: 3 g

Carbs: 43 g

Fiber: 5 g

Protein: 9.3 g

Old Points: 6.6 pts

Points+: 6 pts

______________________________

Here are your ingredients:
Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste 

1 box Dreamfields penne rigate pasta

2 tsp. light butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 shallots, minced

3 oz. prosciutto, chopped

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

28 oz. can crush tomatoes

14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup vodka (I used Smirnoff but its your choice)

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

   

Boil your penne pasta per box directions until al dente (about 10 minutes).  In a large pan, heat butter on a low flame.  Add garlic and shallots and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.  Add prosciutto and red pepper flakes and cook another minute.  Add tomatoes, vodka, salt and pepper and cook on low, covered about 20 minutes.  Add basil and half and half, mix well and cook another 5 minutes or so.  Serve this over pasta and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe