Beans and Greens Alla Vodka

Name: Beans and Greens Alla Vodka
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; Kosher salt; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 1/4 cup vodka; 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or chickpeas, drained but not rinsed; 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn or coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup heavy cream; Grated Parmesan, as needed

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(3,014)
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

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Preparation

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.
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.
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.

Ratings

5 out of 5

3,014 user ratings

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Comments

Frederick Tibbetts3 years ago

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 Cantor3 years ago

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.

Dee3 years ago

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.

RH1 week ago

tasty and easy! will make again. I used a package of baby spinach and added chopped basil at the end. Soaked the pepper flakes per the comment suggerstion . And i wanted it less soupy so simmered with lid off for last three minutes but still could be less soupy for me. Kills me that I have no bread -next time!

Jordan E1 week ago

If you’re using kale rather than chard or spinach, I’d recommend cooking it down for an extra 15 minutes or so at a low simmer. This helps it to soften up and gets rid of some of the bitterness. Additionally, I added a tbsp of fresh minced tarragon to the mix at the end, and it really worked nicely.

Cookie1 month ago

How long will cashew cream last in the fridge?

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