Directions
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp.
  3. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add butter, shallot and garlic to the pan and cook until the shallot becomes soft and translucent.
  4. Add the tomato paste and crushed red pepper to the pan and mix until evenly distributed. Cook the tomato paste until it darkens in color, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Whisk in the vodka and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and allow to cook an additional 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
  6. Add the bacon back into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Fold the pasta into the sauce and add reserved pasta water as needed for desired consistency.
  7. Allow to heat through, remove from heat and serve warm with grated parmesan and basil.