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Tuscan Marry Me Butter Beans

Tuscan marry me butter beans in a creamy sun-dried tomato and cream sauce are simmered until the sauce clings to large lima beans. Finished with wilted spinach and parmesan for a rich, thick, spoonable texture.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, with light sizzling at the edges.
Simmer creamy base
  1. Pour in the heavy cream and broth, then stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, with steady small bubbles across the surface for 1-2 minutes.
Heat beans in the sauce
  1. Add the drained butter beans to the skillet and stir to coat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the beans are heated through and the sauce thickens slightly, clinging to the beans.
Wilt spinach
  1. Stir in the baby spinach a handful at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted, turning bright green and tender.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the grated parmesan and season generously with salt and black pepper. Keep heating briefly until the parmesan melts and the sauce looks glossy and creamy.
Serve
  1. Serve the butter beans hot with crusty bread on the side. Spoon the beans over the bread so it soaks up the creamy sauce.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, use a gentle simmer (not a hard boil) so the sauce thickens without separating. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat on the stove with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the cream. Dietary swap: use half-and-half or a plant-based cream substitute for a lighter or dairy-free-style version (note that thickness may be slightly different).