Dairy Free Vodka Sauce

Homemade vodka sauce is the most delicious thing ever and I have been craving it in my dreams. There are a lot of things that I dont eat these days but I would say the two biggest would be I dont eat a lot of meat (unless its hidden in a dish) and dairy has become my friendenemy.  I love dairy, and I crave it night and day, it just makes me terribly sick. Some things are worse than others, milk and icecream are basically out of the question but butter or a slice of cheese are still within my limits.

Lucky for me I happen to have an arsenal of dairy free experience from my nine months as a dairy free nursing mom. One of my favorites is this dairy free vodka sauce. It tastes just like the original, creamy, thick and delicious without any of the heartburn or reflux after so I am one happy camper. I served this up at a play group party a couple of weeks ago and since everyone seemed to love it (even the kiddos) I figured I should get on posting it soon. If you are not dairy free you can always substitute the coconut milk back out for regular cream or whole milk and continue on your way.

2 tbs of EVOO
1 C of good chicken stock (you may want more or less)
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbs tomato paste
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste- I used less this time since I was serving to toddlers)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c vodka
1/2 c So Delicious Coconut Creamer Original flavor- I purchase this at Whole Foods
1 box of your favorite pasta
1 package of fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in the bottom of your sauce pot. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Add tomato paste and garlic and continue stirring for about 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and vodka and bring the heat up to medium-high stirring to mix the flavors. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes while frequently stirring to ensure that the alcohol has time to cook off. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream.

While making the pasta sauce bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the chopped fresh basil. Toss and then slowly add chicken stock to the mixture until the sauce is the consistency you would like. The stock adds a bit of flavor while also helping to thin out the sauce.