Pasta with vodka sauce and sausage

I am still fighting the cooties. :( I thought that I felt better yesterday so I decided to fix dinner. I looked around for a quick dish that would seem hearty and make me feel better. This recipe has roughly a 30 minute prep time. About half way through I regretted the decision to cook. I just started feeling awful! This was good however I wish I would have waited until I was feeling better because I think I would have enjoyed it more. I doubled the recipe because it said it only made one serving. I am posting the recipe the way it was written.

Anyways, here is the recipe from Emeril via www.foodnetwork.com:


Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Sausage

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

1/4 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons vodka
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish S
prig fresh basil, for garnish

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving. Top with cheese and sprig of basil and serve immediately.