Garlic Confit Pasta alla Vodka

• servings: 2 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1-2 heads of garlic

olive oil

fresh thyme

½ small onion (chopped finely)

¼ cup tomato paste

3 tbsp vodka

red pepper flakes

½ cup heavy cream

½ lb pasta (I used mini farfalle)

parmesan

Directions

Peel all of the garlic and place into either a small roasting pot or a small/medium saucepan. Pour olive oil over the garlic cloves (enough to cover them) and add a fresh sprig of thyme.

You can cook this over the stove on the lowest heat for 30 min-1 hr (or until cloves are tender), but be mindful that you want it to simmer gently, not fry. You could also cook in the oven on 250 degrees, covered, for 1-2 hours (or until cloves are tender).

Once tender, remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and mash. Set this garlic to the side for later when we’re making our vodka sauce. Also save the olive oil!

Bring some water to a boil in a large pot, heavily salt and add pasta of your choice. Cook according to package instructions until al dente! We’re going to make the sauce as the pasta cooks.

Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, add a few tbsp of the garlic oil. After this has heated, add in finely chopped onion and sautée for about 2 minutes until softened.

Add tomato paste and stir for another 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with vodka and stir to combine. Continue to stir for a few minutes until the alcohol has cooked off.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the mashed garlic confit, a pinch of the crushed red pepper flakes (to your liking), and then the heavy cream. Stir until everything is combined.

Bring the al dente pasta directly into the sauce along with some of the starchy pasta water (start with ½ cup and use more if needed!)

Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir so that pasta gets nice and coated with the sauce! Finish with parmesan.