Many people have heard of spicy vodka pasta. A popular American-Italian dish, the recipe went globally viral in 2020 by model Gigi Hadid – and a recipe I’ve made myself. As lockdown meant restaurants closed, people mastered their own versions of the rich and spicy sauce to add to linguine or spaghetti. This time I have decided to make the delicious sauce, but put it with butter beans. That’s right, it’s vodka beans.
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Vodka beans
Vodka sauce is easy! What I like about this sauce is that it’s done in three easy steps. The base of the sauce relies on the holy grail of all delicious meals: onion and garlic.
Sweat down the onions and garlic before adding in the herbs and spices. The two main things you want to achieve from this dish is: heat and creaminess.
Heat
So, you want to bring some spice to your dish? This is done through chilli flakes. Scale them up or down to suit you and your fellow diner’s palates. Some might like it hot, others might not.
Creaminess
The way to make this dish thick and lucious is simple: cream! One cup of heavy cream is what makes this sauce so delicious and such a crowd pleaser.
Vodka, please!
For those seeing this sauce for the first time, it might come as a bit of a surprise for you. Vodka? In a pasta sauce? Normally the alcohol added would be red wine! But the vodka is such a delicious addition – it cuts through the rich cream and adds a really subtle depth of flavour.
For those who don’t like vodka – don’t skip this step! It’s vital!
Beans
And, the final twist to the popular sauce is of course that I’m serving this with beans. Butter beans to be precise. Why is this? Because beans are creamy and subtle. The way they break apart in the sauce means they almost become part of it.
For those looking for a lower carb or less starchy option – beans are the solution!
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Images by Alanna Penna Photography.
Vodka beans
Ingredients
- 400 - 800 g butter beans 14 - 28 oz
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 140 g tomato paste
- 100 mL vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream 200mL
- 50 g parmesan 1.7oz - grated
- 50 g butter 1.7oz
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- In a large deep saucepan on a medium heat, bring the olive oil to heat and fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Stir occasionally to avoid the garlic from burning. Add the oregano and chilli flakes and fry for an additional 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to high. Fry the tomato paste for 2 - 3 minutes or until it has caramalised, turned a deep red colour and is almost sticking to the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the vodka. Cook until 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. Add in the cream and cook for 1 minute on a medium heat or until the cream has foamed and is bubbling. Turn the heat to low and stir the cream through the sauce with a pinch of salt until all ingredients are well combined.
- Stir through the beans and cheese until well incorporated. Serve immediately.
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