Simple Wednesday: Bow-Ties with Vodka Sauce & Garlic Bread

Full disclosure before I start in, I actually tend to make a batch of Vodka Sauce every two weeks or so because it's my personal go-to dish.  Of course, silly me ALSO forgot to take pictures of tonight's prep!  My mind has been elsewhere these past few days, so please bare with me as I should be back on track tomorrow morning!

I've searched high and low for the best Vodka Sauce recipe for quite a while.  The recipe I found over at The Girl Creative is the tastiest and creamiest so far.  As for the Garlic Bread, the recipe is fantastic and you can store the pieces in the freezer for up to three months!

Vodka Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter

1 red onion

4-5 large cloves of garlic

1 C vodka

2 (28oz) cans of crushed tomatoes with basil

Fresh Parsley

1-1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 pint heavy cream

Place 2 sticks of butter in a sauce pan and melt on medium heat.

Put cut onions and minced garlic in the pan and cook until soft (around 10 minutes).

Add Vodka and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, sugar and parsley (about 1 1/4 cup) and stir together.  Allow to cook for 30 minutes or so.

If you make this ahead like I do, you can reduce and simmer for another 30 minutes.

*This recipe will make enough sauce for a few pounds of pasta, so you will have extras.

Garlic Bread Recipe

Ingredients

1 stick salted butter (room temperature)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 loaf French bread

Combine butter, garlic, olive oil, salt and parsley together until it forms a semi-smooth paste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut bread loaf into 16 1-inch slices.  Spread 1/2 tsp of mixture onto each slice of bread.  Place bread onto a baking sheet then place the sheet into the freezer for at least 15 minutes to let the mixture firm up.    

Place as many as you need onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are a nice golden brown.

*Place any leftover slices into freezer bags and store in freezer for up to 3 months.