Smoked Sausage with Vodka Cream Sauce Rigatoni

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Y’all are going to find that this is one amazingly easy pasta dish to put together.  Now I used jalapeno peppers in mine, but you can definately leave out if you don’t like the heat.  BTW, if you cut out all the seeds and the veins (where all the heat is) your dish won’t be all that spicy.  This dish is also good made with chicken as well.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion – diced
1 green or red pepper – diced
2 jalapeno’s – seeds/veins removed and diced
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 1/2 pounds smoked pork – sliced
2 quarts cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt
pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup fresh basil – shredded
1 box rigatoni

1. Put pasta on to boil in a very well salted stockpot of water. Cook for 1 minute less than package directions.
2. In large pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat
3. Add onion, pepper and jalapeno’s and saute till slightly softened
4. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so to soften.  Be careful not to burn.
5. Add the sliced smoked pork and cook through.  (if you use a precooked, just cook to warm)
6. Pull everything to sides of pan and place the cherry tomatoes in center, lower temp to medium and cover pan. Cook 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes burst.
7. Add the vodka and heavy cream and stir well.
8. Stir contents of pan together and add the cooked pasta.  Do not drain the pasta water and discard.  You can use this for sauce if needed because it will help thicken sauce as well as increase sauce volume.  Add a ladle full at a time to reach desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add the Parmesan and basil and toss together.