Ingredients
- 400g cherry tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 3 large cloves, garlic in their skin
- 2tbs olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 2tsp caster sugar
- 1tbs tomato puree
- 300g penne pasta
- 2tbs vegetable oil
- 400g pork mince
- 50ml vodka
- 30ml cream
- 30g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Start by making your tomato sauce. Line a large oven tray with tinfoil. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place on the oven tray flat side up. Peel and quarter the onion and add to the tray along with the garlic cloves. Drizzle the tomatoes, onion and garlic evenly with the olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes have reduced in size by about half. Squeeze the pulp out of the garlic cloves and place in a blender, discarding the skin. Add the tomatoes, onion and all juices from the tray to the blender, along with the sugar and tomato paste and blend, then set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, seasoned well with salt, and add the penne pasta. Cook for eight to 10 minutes until just cooked, then strain, keeping some of the pasta water in reserve.
- When the penne pasta goes into the pot, heat a large nonstick frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Add the pork mince and cook on high heat, caramelising the mince well, and breaking it up well with a wooden spoon into small bits. Stir occasionally and fry until the mince is evenly browned and caramelised all over. Then, add the vodka carefully to deglaze the pan, and when the liquid has reduced by half, add the tomato sauce and a ladle of pasta water. Cook on a medium heat, stirring regularly until the sauce simmers, adding more pasta water if needed if the sauce is too thick.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir through the cream and grated Parmesan, then fold through the strained penne pasta until evenly coated in the sauce.
- Spoon into bowls and garnish with some more grated Parmesan.
