• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 shallots, minced
  
• 1 cup vodka
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
  
• Coarse salt and pepper
  
• 16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

• Crusty bread, for passing

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently sauté shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan (3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup). Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

Got this from oprah.com, saw it not too long ago. great sauce, I spice mine up a bite and tossed in shrip with the pasta, cooked.

remeber that Rachael is a techer and not a chef. So hers are easy, not alot of steps and very basic.

This was a great dish. (but Im a great dish myself...)