This cold, wet weather is the bane of my existence. The only thing that makes it more tolerable is a heaping plate full of comfort food. And there’s perhaps no food more comforting than a creamy, rich pasta dish.

Nobody ever objects to having pasta for dinner. And I get a lot of, “Ew, why’d you make THAT for dinner?” around my house. Or the even worse, “What IS that?” Put a big bowl of pasta on the table and we have four happy tummies in our house.

This recipe from Rachel Ray is super yummy. But really, how could you go wrong with pasta, vodka, and cream? I added just a few red pepper flakes to her recipe to spice it up. I’m of the opinion that almost anything tastes better with red pepper flakes. Except desserts. They’re off limits as far as red pepper flakes are concerned. But anything else is fair game.

Close-up of Penne Alla Vodka with fresh basil

Recipe Tips

This recipe is pretty much full proof as long as you do not overcook your pasta, you use high quality tomatoes, and you simmer the sauce long enough to thicken it so it really coats the penne. Feel free to use as much basil as you like. Rachel Ray calls for 20 leaves of basil in her recipe. The taste of fresh basil can be a little overwhelming for my palate, so I only add a little bit.

How To Serve

This amazing pasta dish is best served topped with some fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. I also like to serve some crusty Italian bread with it.