Penne Alla Gin

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hr 30 mins

Total time

1 hr 45 mins

Yields (plates)

Update Recipe Servings

Ingredients

Pasta

<6 cups> water <1> box (<1> lb) dried penne pasta <1 tbsp> table salt

Sauce

<1> medium (<5> oz) onion, cut into thin slivers <3> cloves of garlic, minced <2 tbsp> olive oil <1 tsp> dried oregano <0.25 tsp> garlic powder <0.5 tsp> red pepper flakes <1 tsp> dried thyme <0.5 tsp> + <0.125 tsp> table salt <1 tsp> sugar <0.75 tsp> black pepper <0.75 cup> Bombay Sapphire gin <1 tsp> dried basil <28> oz crushed tomatoes <0.25 cup> pecorino romano cheese, grated <1 cup> heavy cream

Baked Dish

<0.5> lb mozzarella cheese, shredded <0.25 cup> pecorino romano cheese, grated

Serving

<1 tsp> dried parsley <0.5 tsp> black pepper <0.5 cup> pecorino romano cheese, grated

Instructions

Pasta

1. Fill the pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil, approximately 6-10 minutes.
2. When boiling, uncover and add salt, stir a little bit. Water should taste very salty.
3. Add pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, approximately 10 minutes.
4. Strain pasta and set aside for the rest of the recipe.

Sauce

1. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add olive oil. Heat until olive oil moves like a liquid.
2. Add onions, garlic, and the smaller portion of salt to the pot and stir to un-clump the onions until they soften and start to brown.
3. Add oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, thyme, and basil. Stir gently until spices are aromatic.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add gin. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a silicon spatula to get the fond.
5. Cook until mixture is reduces by about 50%. Do not smell it as the vapors will hurt your nose.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir until it starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to low heat without covering.
7. Season with sugar, pepper, and the larger portion of salt and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and wait until the pot stops bubbling.
9. Add in pecorino romano cheese and heavy cream and stir until fully combined.

Baked Dish

1. Move the rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 \xB0F.
2. While the pasta and sauce are hot, mix together the sauce and pasta in the large stockpot for the sauce.
3. Stir mozarella cheese into the mixture until combined and the mozarella cheese starts to melt.
4. Put a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. This will prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom and burning.
5. Move the mixture into the baking dish.
6. Top the pasta and sauce with the pecorino romano cheese, but do not stir. We want this to get a little crisp on top.
7. Set the oven to broil and bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the cheese is browned but not burned.
8. Take the dish out of the oven and let it cool for an additional 10 minutes.

Serving

1. Top with pecorino romano cheese, dried parsley, and black pepper and serve!

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Nutrition

Servings: 8 ・ Calories: 650 kcal

Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclaimer here.

Shopping List

<1> box (<1 lb>) dried penne pasta <2 tbsp> table salt <1> medium (<5> oz) onion <3> cloves of garlic <2 tbsp> olive oil <1 tsp> dried oregano <0.25 tsp> garlic powder <0.5 tsp> red pepper flakes <1 tsp> dried thyme <0.5 tsp> + <0.125 tsp> table salt <1 tsp> sugar <0.75 tsp> black pepper <0.75 cup> Bombay Sapphire gin <1 tsp> dried basil <28> oz crushed tomatoes <1 cup> heavy cream <0.5> lb mozzarella cheese <1 cup> pecorino romano cheese

* Values reflect modified serving size