Vodka Sauce with Pancetta and Penne and "Last Chance Harvey"

My apologies for anyone who came by Wednesday expecting my normal dinner and a movie post. Since I did not write on my blog that day, I am sharing what I had planned to write Wednesday with all of you today. Vodka sauce has to be one of my very favorite things to eat in the universe. On those days when I was just too exhausted to make a home cooked meal for myself, I usually had a jar of good quality vodka sauce in my pantry. That was until someone very near and dear to my heart shared with me their recipe for homemade vodka sauce with pancetta. Let me tell you, it is beyond delicious and never again will I be able to pop a jar of vodka sauce again after tasting this. In a long list of extraordinary food we've made together, this was by far the best. Though my post is a day late for Valentine's day it's always a good night to get in the kitchen with the person you love most in the entire world and enjoy the process of cooking and the meal together. You'll both feel more connected with each other and you'll enjoy the food even more. I've got a great movie to go with the this dinner that stays with the theme of love and romance.

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 large onion (diced)
3 cloves of Garlic (minced)
6 basil leaves (Chiffonade cut)  
¼ pound chunk of Pancetta
½ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of Vodka
salt and pepper 
Pinch of dried oregano and red pepper flakes
1 box of Penne pasta

Start by dicing your onion and mincing the 3 cloves of garlic. Set them aside for now and take the pancetta from the fridge. Pancetta is very similar to bacon, it's a pork product that's been cured with salt and spices but it hasn't been smoked like bacon so it want add a smokey flavor to our pasta dish. 

We really do want to avoid adding that smokey flavor so while bacon can often be substituted for pancetta, I wouldn't recommend it in this dish. Pancetta has become much easier to find in grocery stores as of late so I'm sure most of you will be able to find it. You'll want to slice your pancetta into strips and then cut them into small cubes. The cooking term for this is "lardon" which is just cubed pork fat. 

Heat a large skillet coated with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and begin by sautéing our onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes and then add our pancetta and the minced garlic. Stir together and continuing to sauté all of the ingredients until the onions begin to tender and the pancetta begins to crisp slightly around the edges, about another 5 to 7 minutes. Once this has been achieved, take a moment to smell the the aroma of fried onions and pork fat that has engulfed the kitchen. Next, add the tomato paste and stir everything together. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then pour in the can of crushed tomatoes.

Use the chiffonade cutting technique to slice the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Add the pinch of red pepper flakes and oregano and stir everything together. Cover the skillet and allow the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes, giving it an occasional stir every so often. At the point, fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Drop the penne in and cook until it's perfectly al dente.

Add the vodka to the sauce and allow the sauce to simmer for another 5 minutes. The vodka will bring out the richness in the tomatoes and enhance the over all flavor of our sauce. The final step is the mix in the heavy cream and then once our penne has been cooked, drain the pasta and add right into the skillet with our sauce. Mix the pasta with the sauce so that every single noodle gets coated with a delicious blanket of vodka sauce.

Serve the Penne and vodka sauce with two slices of crispy baguette and a garnish of fresh basil. Top the whole plate off with a dusting of fresh and delicious parmesan cheese and dinner is served. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a family meal any night of the week. Now for this week's movie recommendation, it's one of my very favorite love stories called "Last Chance Harvey".

"Last Chance Harvey" was the 2008 romantic comedy starring two of the most gifted actors that have ever graced us with their talents on the big screen - Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Dustin Hoffman stars as Harvey Shine, a musician who write jingles for television commercials. Lately, Harvey has been down on his luck and finds himself slowly being pushed out by a younger group. While on his way to London for his daughter's wedding, Harvey's luck doesn't seem to be turning around anytime soon when he finds that his daughter has grown a better relationship with her step father than she has with Harvey and he gets the call that his job won't be waiting for him when he returns home.

Emma Thompson plays Kate Walker, A worker at the airport who is overall unhappy with her life having nobody to love in her life and uses her love novels to live vicariously. After a chance meeting in the airport restaruant, Harvey and Kate soon find themselves spending the day together walking the streets of London. The two can't admit the instant spark that has ignited between them and it occurs to them both that love, happiness, and joy might be giving them the second chance they've been longing for. Why Thompson and Hoffman weren't humbled with an Oscar nomination for their roles in this film is still a mystery to me. I really think you'll all enjoy this film and hope you take the time to enjoy it - here is the trailer.