Penne With Vodka Sauce & Capicola - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces whole wheat penne
2 ounces piece capicola or 2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup vodka
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
fresh ground pepper

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cook penne until just tender, 12 minutes or according to package directions.
Meanwhile, cook capicola (or pancetta) in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes.
Drain on a paper towel.
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat; add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 1 minute.
Increase heat to high; add vodka and bring to a boil.
Boil until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce and crushed red pepper to taste; reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce and sprinkled with the capicola (or pancetta), basil and pepper.