From my cookbook Weeknight/Weekend, this penne alla vodka, or penne with vodka sauce, is one of those no-food-in-the-house dinners that I make over and over again. Aside from the fresh basil – and even that grows abundantly on my patio during the summer – every ingredient for this dish is always on hand in my kitchen. The vodka sauce, a bright tomato sauce enriched with heavy cream, comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta. You won’t really taste the vodka; it’s simply there to cut the richness of the dish without adding a distinct flavor of its own. (Some people believe the dish was created by vodka manufacturers to sell more vodka!)…