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Tuscan Butter Beans With Spinach And Sun-Dried Tomato

Tuscan butter beans with spinach and sun-dried tomato simmer in a garlicky Parmesan cream sauce until velvety and cohesive. This one-skillet method finishes with wilted baby spinach and tangy, chewy ruby-red sun-dried tomatoes for a warm comfort-food bowl.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
onion
  • 1 onion small, chopped
garlic
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
sun-dried tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
butter beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) butter beans drained and rinsed
vegetable broth
  • 0.5 cup vegetable broth
heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
baby spinach
  • 2 cup baby spinach
dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened, about 4 minutes, with the onion turning translucent at the edges.
  2. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t brown.
Simmer the beans
  1. Stir in the butter beans and vegetable broth, then simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture looks slightly thickened.
Make the Parmesan cream
  1. Pour in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring until the sauce is smooth and creamy with no visible cheese clumps.
Wilt spinach and finish
  1. Add the spinach and dried thyme and stir until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes, turning bright green and collapsing into the sauce.
  2. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, ensuring beans are coated in the creamy sauce.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the butter beans well so the sauce stays silky instead of starchy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat gently to avoid breaking the cream. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a creamier but less rich sauce.