Jon and Vinny's Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe (with Video)

For the sauce
1. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and shallots and sweat.
3. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine, and cook for a few minutes; it will turn a rusty color.
4. Add the vodka and carefully ignite it with a match to flambé it.
5. Do not blow the flame out; it will die off once the alcohol has evaporated.
6. Add the cream and cook, whisking to combine, for 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the pepper flakes and season with salt.
8. Keep about 2¼ cups in the skillet and reserve the rest for another use.
For the Fusilli
1. To make the fusilli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
3. OPTIONAL: add the frozen peas in during the last 5 minutes of cooking the pasta, drain with the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, over medium heat, add half the butter and cream to the tomato sauce.
5. Taste and add more cream and butter until it tastes as rich as you want it.
6. Stir to combine.
7. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss over medium heat.
9. Slowly stream in a few spoonfuls of the cooking water to emulsify the sauce, if needed.
10. OPTIONAL: Add in the cooked Italian sausage here.
11. Stir in the basil and check the seasonings.
12. Serve in warmed shallow bowls and pass the Parmesan at the table.
13. Sauce makes 4½ cups
OPTIONAL ITALIAN SAUSAGE
1. Pierce sausage links with a knife throughout both sides.
2. Add to a microwave safe bowl, and cover with water.
3. Microwave for 15 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the sausage from the microwave and drain, then slice into rounds.
5. Add sausage rounds to a pan on the stove.
6. Cook on medium high until both sides have a slight char, and are fully cooked through.
7. Add to the pasta once the sauce goes in.