Pasta a la vodka

Bring a wide shallow pot of heavily salted water to the boil.

Finely dice half an onion and peel a couple cloves of garlic.

Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and start the pasta cooking.

Once the oil shimmers add the onion and cook three to four minutes until translucent.

Crush in the two cloves of garlic and saute about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add about half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and three ounces of tomato paste and cook about two minutes until the paste darkens.

Lower the heat a little and add three ounces of heavy cream and one ounce of vodka, stirring and cooking no more than a minute so the booze does not cook off.

A minute shy of the pasta's preferred doneness, move it into the pan to finish in the sauce, adjusting the heat so it is not simmering hard.

Add the reserved pasta water a quarter cup at a time to make the sauce smooth and glossy, cooking no more than another minute.

Optionally toss the sauce to make it lighter and creamier.

Kill the heat and immediately stir in one ounce of freshly grated parmesan, off the heat, adjusting the thickness with pasta water if needed.

Plate with a little extra grated parmesan over the top.