vodka sauce:

take your beautiful tomatoes....

...chop them up. some people like to skin theirs - i don't.....

let them simmer down, down, down. since this takes a while, i have started doing it in the crock pot with the lid off.
that way i don't burn the tomatoes, as it has happened to me a few times in the past in a regular pot.

after the tomatoes have cooked down for a long time and are nice and thick, i follow this recipe from the cookbook "Get Sauce" that we had in the Penland kitchen when i was a weekend cook there during my core student stint..

its my favorite vodka sauce recipe:
1t extra virgin olive oil  (I used our caribbean red infused oil for some heat)
4 oz. pancetta or bacon diced
1/2 onion minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes (used the ones we made last summer that are nice and spicy)
pinch of dried oregano (again, used homegrown/made)
1/4 cup vodka (or a little more.....)
4 1/2 cups of the cooked down tomatoes (or a 35oz. can of whole tomatoes, chopped)
salt and freshly groung pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 T tomato paste (which I substituted with some ketchup-like-stuff I made last summer)

After you sauté onions, render down bacon, add oregano and vodka, cook it off and deglaze the pan with it,
add tomatoes, salt, pepper, cook down for about 20 minutes.
Add cream which has been mixed with tomato paste, cook for another 10 min or until desired thickness

Enjoy fresh on your pasta
or for canning:
Fill hot jars, put lids on and water bath for 30 minutes.
Take out, wait for lids to pop.
Done.

Note: I know they say one should not water bath dairy or meat.
I have been doing this recipe for 3 years now and have not had any issues with spoilage, etc...
So take that however you will.

et voila! beautiful, yummy sauce!