Vodka Pasta

Cook the pasta according to package directions (approximately 8 - 10 minutes), and make the sauce while the pasta is cooking. Reserve about 100ml of the starchy pasta water before draining.
150 g penne pasta
Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and add the diced onion and garlic. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until the onions have softened and become translucent.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 white onion, 4 garlic cloves
Add the tomato paste and stir it into the onion mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomato paste has darkened in color.
3 tablespoon tomato paste
Add the vodka shot and let it cook down (1-2 minutes). This will also help deglaze the pan.
60 ml vodka
Pour in the heavy cream and stir the sauce together, followed by the seasonings.
200 ml heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two, until it begins to thicken. Then, add half of the cheese, the pasta, and 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water, depending on how thick you like your sauce.
½ cup 50g Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Mix the pasta into the sauce and cook on low heat until the vodka pasta is glossy and completely coated.
Plate up and serve the pasta with the remaining cheese grated over the top, more black pepper, and red pepper flakes if you like, and the fresh chopped parsley.
Fresh parsley or basil