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Tuscan Marry Me Butter Beans

Tuscan marry me butter beans in a creamy sun-dried tomato and cream sauce with large lima beans, wilted spinach, and parmesan. Quick skillet simmering thickens the sauce for a spoon-coating texture, finished with generous seasoning and served with crusty bread.
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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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté the sun-dried tomato base
  1. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 2-3 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer the creamy sauce
  1. Add the heavy cream, chicken or vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling.
  2. Add the butter beans and stir to coat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the beans are heated through.
Finish with spinach and parmesan
  1. Stir in the baby spinach and distribute it through the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted.
  2. Stir in the grated parmesan and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 30-60 seconds just to warm through.
Serve
  1. Serve the butter beans hot with crusty bread on the side. Use the bread to soak up the creamy sauce.

Notes

For the creamiest consistency, simmer until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, then add parmesan off the first aggressive boil. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream. Freezing is not recommended because cream-based sauces can separate. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.