Tuscan Butter Beans

Savory Butter Beans are simmered in a creamy Tuscan style sauce filled with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and baby spinach.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings Portions

Calories 292kcal

Author Diana Reis

Equipment

Large Sauté Pan, Rondeau Pan, or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Shallot finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes optional
1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cans Butter Beans drained and rinsed
8 ounce Jar Sundried Tomatoes drained and julienne
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
¼ Parmesan Cheese grated
4 Cups Baby Spinach
¼ Cup Basil Leaves

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan on medium-low heat. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil in the pan and add finely diced shallots.
Sweat the shallots on a low heat until they turn translucent. Once, the shallots are cooked, add minced garlic, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Warm through.
Add all purpose flour to the pan and let it get absorbed by the oil and tomato paste to form a thick roux.
Next, slowly add broth and stir to absorb the roux.
Bring the cooking liquid to a low simmer and add the drained butter beans and julienne sun-dried tomatoes.
Allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and add cream and parmesan cheese. Stir until you have an even sauce.
Finally, add the baby spinach and basil leaves. Let them wilt into the dish on low heat for 1-2 minutes or until no raw leaves are sitting on top.

Notes

What are butter Beans?

Butter Beans are just lima beans. While we commonly refer to these beans as Lima in the United States, they are often marketed as Butter Beans when sold in canned form. Butter Beans is the commonly used name in the United Kingdom.

Substitutions

Other Beans: This dish is wonderful with large creamy Butter Beans, but other white beans can be used as well. Cannellini Beans and Navy Beans are delicious substitutes if you find yourself short of Butter Beans.

Vegetarian: This dish can easily be made vegetarian by replacing chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Diana's Tips for Success

Turn down the heat, and wait until near the end to add cream to this dish. Extremely high heat can cause your cream to split in the broth. Adding the cream and grated parmesan cheese at the end will turn your flavorful but thin broth into a velvety delight that makes this dish especially rich and comforting.
Add the spinach last! It will only take 1-2 minutes on low heat to cook the spinach. Cooking it for a short time will ensure a nice bright color and beautiful texture.

How to Serve

This dish can be served as a stand alone dish. Adding a fresh piece of crusty bread and a simple green salad would be a delicious bonus.

How to Store and Reheat

Store Marry Me Butter Beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat in the microwave, simply place your desired serving in a microwave safe bowl and warm 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until the entire portion is hot.
Reheat on the stove by placing your portion into a small pot and heating a low temperature, stirring occasionally until it reaches a low simmer or 135°F.

Nutrition