Penne Pasta with Tequila Sauce

This recipe was adapted from Foodnetwork.com by Chef Emeril Lagasse.  The original recipe is Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Sausage, but I had no vodka on hand, so I used tequila; used penne instead of spaghetti; used marinara sauce instead of crushed tomatoes.  I guess I'm really good at tweaking most of the recipes I post. lol  =P  If you try with marinara sauce, it tastes soooooo~~~ much better!  Trust me!  I made this at my sister's house for lunch and my husband was saying how come this tastes much better than other times I've made it.  That is because I used marinara sauce instead of crushed tomatoes.  =)  I prefer Victoria's Marinara Sauce and Costco's italian sausage(because other brands might have smaller or larger size and may change the taste to this recipe).

(sorry, this was the only picture I had and I know it's not the best quality.)

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound                  penne pasta or spaghetti

2 tbsps                    olive oil

3 links                   italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped

1 cup                       yellow onions, chopped

1 tsp                        salt

pinch                     red pepper flakes

1 1/2 jar                Victoria's marinara sauce

3/4 cup                 tequila

1/2 cup                  heavy cream

1 - 2 tbsps             dried basil

fresh                      parmigiano-reggiano, grated, for garnish  

sprig                      fresh basil for garnish

Directions:

1. 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.

2.  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.

3.  Add the onions, salt and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes.

4.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5.  Add the marinara sauce and cook, stirring until thick, about 2 minutes.

6.  Add the tequila sauce and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

7.  Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

8.  Stir in the basil and remove from heat.

9.  Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving.

10.  Top with cheese and sprig of basil.

11.  Serve immediately.