I absolutely adore these white beans in vodka sauce! Creamy, buttery white beans and plunged into my favorite silky vodka sauce and then topped with lots of bubbly, melty cheese. Serve with garlic bread and a big salad for a fabulous meal!
Comfort food is the name of the game here.
These vodka sauce baked white beans are like a giant, saucy hug in a bowl. With a blanket of gooey cheese. The beans are swimming in my silky, savory vodka sauce and topped with parmesan and fresh basil.
It’s my dream meal because I ADORE beans. For the last few years, I’ve actually said they are my favorite food! I love all varieties, but the white beans really reign supreme for me.
However! This dish has three of my all-time favorite foods.
Vodka sauce
Melty, gooey cheese
Creamy, buttery white beans
It’s a heavenly dish! The flavor is unreal, the texture is fabulous and it’s a dish I think about constantly.
Now, these aren’t necessarily a side dish like traditional baked beans, but I guess they kind of could be! I prefer to look at them as the main component of a meal. Eddie would never – he still wants meat. So they are a great side for that.
This is how I make it!
First, I start with the vodka sauce. I make the same recipe every time; it’s my favorite, it’s easy and tastes incredible. It does call for starchy pasta water, but in the event where I’m not actually cooking pasta (like this), I do the quick hack of creating my own. This is simply bowling some water with a little cornstarch and salt! It works every time.
I like to drain and rinse the beans and I typically use four cans. I adore cannellini beans – I find them to be the butteriest, creamiest beans of all. Once they are rinsed, I add them directly to the sauce!
Next comes the cheese. Of course! Freshly grated mozzarella or even provolone. Something that will get super melty and golden. Once you sprinkle that on top, stick the whole pan under the broiler!
Broil it for just a few minutes – and watch the entire time! You want the cheese to get bubbly and browned, but it can burn easily.
Remove the pan, sprinkle with some parmesan and top with fresh basil. It’s DELIGHTFUL!!
I mean, that cheese pull?!
I like to eat this with some garlic bread or even plain toasted sourdough. It’s amazing served with a big salad too. The beans are so creamy and saucy and the dish is the epitome of comfort food.
White Beans In Vodka Sauce
Vodka Sauce Baked White Beans
I absolutely adore these white beans in vodka sauce! Creamy, buttery white beans and plunged into my favorite silky vodka sauce and then topped with lots of bubbly, melty cheese. Serve with garlic bread and a big salad for a fabulous meal!
starchy “pasta” water
As a note, since this recipe does not call for cooked pasta, I make a faux pasta water! This is 1 cup of water and ¼ teaspoon cornstarch and a pinch of salt. I bring it to a boil and then take it off the heat. It works great!
Heat the butter in an oven-safe skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once melted, stir in the shallots and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 5 minutes. The color will darken – this is where the flavor is!
Stream in the vodka and stir, scraping the brown bits and flavor from the bottom. Stir in ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper if needed. You can also stream in a bit more pasta water here if you want it slightly thinner!
Add the beans to the sauce and stir gently to combine. Top with the cheese.
Turn on the broiler. Place the pan directly under it and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove the pan from the oven and top with extra parmesan cheese and the fresh basil. Serve!
Perfect for a cold winter weekend!
