I tried Ina Garten's penne alla vodka. It's one of the best pasta dishes I've ever made.

Ina Garten's penne alla vodka is a standout homemade pasta dish. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider When she roasts her sauce in the oven, the dish becomes exceptionally flavorful. Garten's penne alla vodka is one of the best pastas she's ever made, surpassing even her weekly Bolognese. The recipe was inspired by Garten's favorite Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola from Nick & Toni's restaurant in East Hampton.

To prepare Garten's penne alla vodka for four, one needs ¾ pound of penne, 2 ½ cups of chopped yellow onions, 2 28-ounce cans of plum tomatoes, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup of vodka, 1 cup of heavy cream, ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano, 1 ½ teaspoons of dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

After chopping onions and mincing garlic, they were cooked in a Dutch oven with olive oil until translucent. Once cooked, garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano were added for an additional minute. Vodka was then poured into the pot, simmered for five to seven minutes, and then the whole peeled plum tomatoes were crushed into the pot.

The sauce was seasoned, covered, and baked in the oven for one-and-a-half hours. While the sauce was baking, pasta was cooked al dente in a large pot of salted water. The sauce was puréed using a blender or food processor, then returned to the Dutch oven and seasoned with salt, pepper, and heavy cream. After simmering for ten minutes, pasta was added to the sauce and cooked for an additional two minutes.

The dish was garnished with extra Parmesan and oregano, creating a visually stunning and delectable meal. The creamy and smooth sauce, with a depth of flavor from the slow-roasted tomatoes, is unmatched and greatly exceeds Garten's other pasta dishes.