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Tuscan Marry Me Butter Beans

Tuscan marry me butter beans in a creamy sun-dried tomato and Parmesan sauce with tender large lima beans. Finished with wilted spinach for a rich, hearty main-dish skillet meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

butter beans (large lima beans), drained
  • 3 can (15 oz) butter beans (large lima beans)
baby spinach
  • 3 cup baby spinach
sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil chopped
garlic, minced
  • 5 garlic minced
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
chicken or vegetable broth
  • 0.5 cup chicken or vegetable broth
parmesan, grated
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
crusty bread for serving
  • 1 crusty bread for serving
salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté aromatics and tomatoes
  1. Heat the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and lightly softened, stirring to avoid browning.
Build the creamy sauce
  1. Add the heavy cream, chicken or vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook briefly, stirring, until it looks smooth and slightly thickened.
Simmer the butter beans
  1. Add the drained butter beans to the simmering sauce. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the beans are heated through.
Wilt spinach and finish
  1. Stir in the baby spinach and keep it moving as it wilts. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted and evenly distributed.
  2. Add the grated parmesan and stir until melted and creamy. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Serve the butter beans hot with crusty bread on the side. Spoon the creamy sauce and beans onto the bread so it soaks up the sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: chop the sun-dried tomatoes fairly small so they distribute throughout the cream sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because cream-based sauces can separate when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce the parmesan by 1-2 tbsp (texture stays creamy but slightly less rich).