Penne alla vodka

Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made primarily with vodka and penne (or similar shapes such as rigatoni), usually accompanied with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, and sometimes small meats and vegetables such as sausage, pancetta or peas. The alcohol is said to intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish. The recipe became very popular in Italy and in the United States around the 1980s, when it was offered to discothèque customers. The recipe thus became an icon of the fashionable cuisine of the time, which preferred the use of cream in first courses. Penne alla vodka remains popular in Italian-American cuisine.

Source: Wikipedia