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Tuscan Marry Me Butter Beans

Tuscan marry me butter beans in a creamy sun-dried tomato and cream sauce with tender large lima beans and wilted spinach. This Italian-American one-skillet method simmers until thickened and finishes with parmesan for a rich, 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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then sauté the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
Build the creamy sauce
  1. Add the heavy cream, broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then bring the mixture to a simmer and stir to combine.
Cook the butter beans
  1. Add the drained butter beans, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the beans are heated through.
Wilt spinach
  1. Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted and bright green.
Finish with parmesan and season
  1. Stir in the parmesan, then season generously with salt and pepper until the sauce tastes balanced and creamy.
Serve
  1. Serve the butter beans immediately with crusty bread so it can soak up the sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer just until the sauce thickens slightly—its texture will look glossy after the parmesan melts. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream to loosen. Freezing isn’t recommended because cream sauces can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a similar flavor with less richness.