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(3,079)
Comments
Read comments

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
3,079 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.

Emily

We don’t keep vodka around, so I subbed white wine and it worked well. Infused the wine with the chili flakes while I cooked the onions. I also added salmon, as someone recommended and it was a 10/10!

R

I infused the red pepper into the vodka the first time i made it and it was deliious. Forgot to do it this time and the difference is blandness.

Carole Vandenberg

A favorite recipe. I used Rancho Gordo beans, pressure cooked beforehand (game changer, these beans) and a huge bunch of fresh mixed Kale from our favorite farm stand. Everything else I did as directed. Forgot the red pepper in vodka first but will try next time. I probably did cook it longer too just because of timing of the rest of the meal. And I will also try sausage next time, to make it more of an entree.

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