spaghetti ala vodka ~

~ bob larson by way of peter simons ~

As to sauce....

being a seafood thing you want to make it subtler than meat sauce
begin by sautéing in 3 tblspn EVOO - low heat - large deep sauté pan - not cast iron BUT stainless steel
a few shallots (salted to sweat the water out)
a couple of sweet red peppers
a carrot
a couple of anchovies
a clove or two of garlic (at the end)
a tblspn or so of good Italian seasoning
some red pepper flakes
when translucent
stir in two/three large cans of fire roasted or tuscan tomatoes - break up with hands while adding to base
puree in skillet with a wand (or pour into blender and puree)
add a big can/bunch of clams including the liquid
a couple of tblspns of sugar of sugar to reduce acidity
add a 1/2 cup of Vodka before reducing down
add salt and pepper to taste
add chopped Italian parsley at end if you want
cook down on simmer ... clams should cook about 10 minutes

* we omit all seafood & it is still terrific!