Penne a la Vodka with White Beans
and roasted broccoli
Penne a la Vodka is made with a creamy tomato sauce served with tender penne pasta. To add some flavor and protein, this version includes white beans and is served with roasted broccoli on the side.
Smarts: The vodka in the sauce helps it to become creamy, but it cooks down for a long time to remove most of the alcohol - you likely won't notice it in the finished dish. But if you'd prefer not to use vodka, stock or even water work just fine.
Ingredients
- Pasta, penne - 12 oz (sub any other short tube shape)
- Onions, medium - 1/2 , diced
- Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped
- Tomatoes, whole peeled (28 oz / 795 g) - 1 can
- Beans, any white (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
- Basil, dried - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Vodka - 1/2 cup (sub any stock)
- Sugar - 1/4 tsp
- Heavy cream - 1/4 cup
- Cheese, grated parmesan - for serving
- Broccoli - 1 lb , florets
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Prep
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Pasta - Cook pasta according to package directions. If making ahead, toss with some oil to minimize sticking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Onions / Garlic / Broccoli - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Tomatoes - Drain the tomatoes. Reserve the liquids in one bowl and the solid tomatoes in another.
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Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Make
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Heat oven to 425F / 218C.
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Toss broccoli with olive oil (portion for broccoli), balsamic vinegar, and some salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan and roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through cooking.
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While broccoli roasts, heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan with butter and olive oil (portion for pasta) over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes and saute until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Use your hands to break apart the whole tomatoes as you add them to the onions and garlic. (Reserve the tomato liquid to add later.)
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Remove pan from heat (this is especially important if you are cooking over an open flame where the vodka could spill and cause a fire), pour vodka into the pan, and bring to a simmer.
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Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes to reduce the alcohol, continuing to stir the tomatoes to break them apart as they cook.
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Pour liquids from peeled tomatoes and sugar into sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is rich and creamy, 5 to 8 minutes.
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Stir beans into sauce until heated through.
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Remove pan from heat and stir in heavy cream and cooked pasta.
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Squeeze lemon juice over broccoli.
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Serve pasta with parmesan cheese on top and roasted broccoli on the side. Enjoy!
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