Pastina alla Vodka

Ingredients

• 1 pound pastina
• olive oil
• 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 8 ounces spinach
• torn basil, for garnish

Method

1. Cook the pasta in generously salted water according to the package instructions.
2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add sausage, breaking it up. Cook until the sausage is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan.
3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the pan. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vodka, scraping up any browned bits. Let the vodka reduce by about half.
4. Add diced tomatoes and season with salt. Lower the heat to medium and simmer the tomatoes until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy cream and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to low and stir in the grated cheese.
6. Stir in the spinach, reserved sausage and cooked pastina.
7. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, basil and more grated cheese.