Beans and Greens Alla Vodka

By Ali Slagle

Published March 8, 2022

Beans and Greens Alla Vodka
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(3,869)
Comments
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Pasta alla vodka is a classic because each ingredient works together beautifully: the heat of the red-pepper flakes and vodka, the sweetness of the tomato and the richness of the cream. And that combination works equally well with beans and greens. Use chickpeas or white beans, and kale or any other dark leafy green, like Swiss chard or broccoli rabe. The finished dish keeps for up to three days in the fridge. Eat it on its own, with crusty bread for dunking, or over pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 1yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • 1(6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • ¼cup vodka
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2(15-ounce) cans white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or chickpeas, drained but not rinsed
  • 1bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn or coarsely chopped
  • ¼cup heavy cream
  • Grated Parmesan, as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

492 calories; 17 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 881 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, vodka and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is a shade darker and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add 2 cups water, the beans and the kale, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is flavorful and the kale is tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Taste and if it needs more salt, stir in some grated Parmesan. Serve with more Parmesan on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,869 user ratings
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Comments

Frederick Tibbetts

If you infuse the red pepper flakes in the vodka for five minutes before using, you will get a more intense (yet not hotter) pepper flavour. Take a small sip beforehand to see exactly what I mean. (Chemically, you are allowing the alcohol to extract esters and capsaicin from the pepper before it evaporates over the burner.)

Marc Cantor

To make it vegan, substitute cashew cream for the heavy cream. To make your own, barely cover raw cashews in warm water for 30 minutes, then blend.

Dee

Evaporated milk. You could also mash some beans to thicken. My mom likes to puree an extra can of beans in the blender and add that instead of adding milk or cream. She does this for many sauces/soups. Delish and bonus: healthy.

Kathy

Pretty good, simple and healthy (except for the whipped cream). I think the heavy tomato paste might be a bit too much, so next time, I might prefer to substitute perhaps half a cup of chopped or pureed tomatoes for the paste. I did soak the red pepper in the vodka for a few minutes, and it seemed to take the punch out of the red pepper. I did not notice a more intense pepper flavor.

Janine

I'm surprised by the number of 5-star reviews for this recipe! I followed the recipe with the exception of adding pancetta with the onions, used 2 cans of white beans, bok choy and spinach because that's what I had in the refrigerator. It tasted like Heinz baked beans straight from the can! Yuck :( For leftovers, added extra parmesan and luckily had maple pork sausage in the fridge - this made it much more palatable.

Guni Dalal

I disagree about adding the kale to the onion and garlic saute. It overcooks it so much. Just cook as instructed in OP.

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