Vodka Saucy Beans
one of my favorite combos
If Kris is out of town or otherwise not home for dinner and I still feel like cooking, a can of beans is usually involved! Most men I know would not consider a skillet of saucy beans dinner and that’s their loss.
This comes together in about 20 minutes and I usually have a bit leftover. If you want a really smooth sauce, you’ll need a blender but otherwise only a skillet, knife, and spoon are needed for this recipe.
If you would like to serve this as a side instead of a main dish I totally understand and love your creativity and dedication to putting beans on the table (they’re good for your heart….). I recommend pairing with an arugula salad and crispy chicken cutlets or a nice steak!! A seared fish (sea bass, halibut, trout, salmon, etc) with a side of broccolini or asparagus would also be so yummy.
Ingredients:
1 can of white beans (Navy, Great Northern, and Butter beans all work!)
1 roma tomato or small heirloom tomato
1/2 of a vidalia or sweet onion
2 garlic cloves
about 1 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons vodka
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best!)
as needed: olive oil, salt, pepper
toppings: basil, basil oil, red pepper flakes or calabrian chile peppers, boursin cheese
Instructions:
Roughly chop your garlic, tomato, and onion. If you’re not planning on blending the sauce I recommend finely chopping these ingredients. Once chopped, add the onion and garlic into your skillet over medium low heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Once the onion is wilted, add in the tomato and give it all a toss. If things are sticking to the skillet, add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze and add moisture.
Once the tomato has cooked and is getting mushy, add in the tomato paste and stir. Cook until the tomato paste has turned from bright red to more of a brick red color, about 2 minutes. Add in the vodka and stir until combined.
Transfer everything from the skillet into a blender (immersion blender works too!). Add about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. If we were making pasta we’d use pasta water. Blend until smooth then transfer back to the skillet on low heat. Add in the heavy cream and stir. Give it a taste for salt and pepper, add more if needed.
Rinse and drain your beans. Add into the skillet and stir into the sauce. Turn the heat up to medium low. If the sauce is too thick, add another splash of chicken broth.
Grate in the parmesan and stir until melted. Turn the heat off and then top with little pieces of boursin, thinly sliced basil, red pepper flakes or calabrian chiles, and a drizzle of olive oil (or basil olive oil) if you’d like. You could also just add more parmesan and call it a day but the basil and boursin really add a nice flavor.
Serve with a baguette or toasty bread. Enjoy!!
You can put this in a bowl to serve or you can just eat it out of the skillet. I guess it depends on if you’re sharing or not!