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Tuscan Marry Me Butter Beans

Tuscan marry me butter beans with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, tender large lima beans, and wilted spinach. Finished with parmesan so it coats the beans for a 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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butter beans (large lima beans)
  • 3 can (15 oz) butter beans (large lima beans), drained
Greens & aromatics
  • 3 cup baby spinach
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped Chopped; reserve the oil.
  • 5 clove garlic, minced
Creamy sauce
  • 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
To serve & season
  • 1 Crusty bread for serving
  • 0.25 Salt To taste.
  • 0.25 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 and glossy.
Build a creamy sauce
  1. Add the heavy cream, broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it bubble gently for 1-2 minutes.
Simmer and thicken the beans
  1. Add the butter beans to the skillet. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the beans are heated through.
Wilt the spinach
  1. Stir in the baby spinach. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted and bright green.
Finish with parmesan and season
  1. Stir in the grated parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper until the sauce is creamy and cohesive, with no dry parmesan pockets.
Serve
  1. Transfer the butter beans to serving bowls. Serve immediately with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, simmer just until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; if it looks too thick, loosen with a splash of broth. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (reheat gently, adding a little liquid if needed). Freezing is not recommended for best spinach texture. If you want a dairy-light option, use half-and-half and reduce parmesan slightly.