This Marry Me Beans recipe transforms the canned white beans in your cupboard into a rich, satisfying one-pot meal. Combined with a garlicky sun-dried tomato cream sauce, it’s the ultimate comfort food for date nights, dinner parties, or cozy weeknights.
Table of Contents
If you’ve already fallen for my Marry Me Chicken Meatballs or Marry Me Chicken Soup, these Marry Me Beans will steal your heart next. It captures everything you love about those creamy, dreamy dishes, but in a protein-packed, bean-based version.
New to the “marry me” family of meals? The classic Tuscan-inspired meal tucks juicy chicken into a creamy, sun-dried tomato, and Italian herb-kissed sauce. It’s supposed to be so outrageously delicious, it could inspire a proposal on the spot.
This recipe is a lot like the classic version, except I swapped the chicken for soft and tender white beans that melt right into the sauce. It’s a little lighter and meat-free but every bit as decadent as the classic. And hey, if the rumors are true, someone might pop the question in the process!
Ingredient notes
- Aromatics – Minced shallot and garlic cloves bring a mild, slightly sweet flavor and savory depth to the dish. If you don’t have shallots, use a small yellow onion instead.
- Tomato paste
- Sun-dried tomatoes – These add bursts of tangy, chewy, intensely savory flavor throughout the dish, while the oil comes in handy for sautéing the aromatics.
- White beans – Any soft white bean, like butter beans or cannellini beans, is your best bet. Both of these options are tender and mild in flavor and are soft enough to practically melt into the sauce. Great Northern beans, navy beans, or chickpeas can also work in a pinch, but they won’t be quite as soft.
- Parmesan cheese – Remember that freshly grated parmesan melts better and has more flavor than pre-grated cheese.
- Italian seasoning – If you don’t have a pre-mixed blend, you’ll love my Italian Seasoning Substitute.
- Red pepper flakes
- Spinach – Fresh spinach is added at the end for color and extra nutrition. Frozen spinach also works, but you’ll need to thaw it and squeeze out any excess water first to avoid watering down the cream sauce.
- Heavy cream – It’s what makes this dish luxurious and creamy. You can use half-and-half here if needed, but your sauce will be slightly thinner.
- Lemon juice and zest
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves
- Toasted panko breadcrumbs – An optional topping that gives the creamy beans a crunchy top layer.
How to make Marry Me Butter Beans
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics
- Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet.
- Add the shallot and sauté until softened.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Step 2: Deglaze the Pan
- Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful bits stuck to the pan.
Step 3: Simmer the Sauce
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, beans, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pan.
- Let the sauce simmer gently.
Step 4: Season, then Serve
- Stir in the heavy cream and fresh spinach.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle fresh basil and a handful of toasted panko breadcrumbs over the top, and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Simmer the canned beans gently for 10 to 15 minutes to help them absorb more flavor and to thicken the sauce.
- If your sauce is too thick, stir in another splash of stock. If it’s too thin, keep simmering until it reduces. You can also stir in a spoonful of cream cheese at the end for an even thicker, creamier consistency.
- Adding the cream at the end keeps the sauce rich and silky and prevents it from separating.
- Taste and adjust the flavors when it’s done. Keep in mind that parmesan is naturally salty and that the beans will soak up a lot of flavor, so it’s best to wait until the end to taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- If you want to use dried beans instead of canned, soak 2 cups of dried white beans in water overnight, then simmer them in salted water or broth the next day until they’re fully cooked.
Variations
Marry me butter beans are incredibly flexible! Here are some delicious ways to switch things up:
- Make it spicy – Give the beans an extra kick with extra red pepper flakes, a diced Calabrian chili, or a spoonful of harissa.
- Vegetarian option – Make this with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and use rennet-free parmesan.
- Dairy-free or vegan option – Use vegetable stock, swap the parmesan with nutritional yeast or dairy-free cheese, and replace the cream with full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream.
- Add more protein – Stir in shredded chicken, browned Italian sausage crumbles, crispy bacon, or pancetta.
- More add-in ideas – You can add sautéed mushrooms, chopped olives, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers. Or, to brighten things up, add a swirl of basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto just before serving.
Serving suggestions
Any marry me-style dish, whether it’s made with chicken, tofu, or, in this case, soft butter beans, is going to be saucy, creamy, and indulgent. This makes it a wonderful meal to spoon over a bed of creamy parmesan polenta or cooked pasta noodles and scoop up with crusty sourdough or garlic bread.
On the side, pair your marry me white beans with one of these Tuscan-inspired dishes:
Or one of these 20+ Side Dishes for Marry Me Chicken
How to make ahead and store
- Transfer the leftover beans to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat the beans gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce up if needed.
Erin’s wine pairings for Marry Me Beans
I recommend pairing these beans with wines that either complement their richness or cut through it with brightness, such as:
- A refreshingly fruity Rosé.
- Prefer red? Go with a light to medium-bodied Chianti or Pinot Noir.
More classic Italian comfort food recipes
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Full Recipe
Marry Me Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (drained and chopped, plus 1 Tablespoon reserved oil)
- 3 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (or butter beans, drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest)
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup julienned fresh basil leaves
- Toasted bread (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add 1 Tablespoon of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Heat over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add the stock and deglaze the pan, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the sun dried tomatoes, beans, parmesan, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using). Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the spinach and heavy cream and stir until the spinach is wilted.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with the fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Transfer the leftover beans to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat the beans gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce up if needed.
- Simmer the canned beans gently for 10 to 15 minutes to help them absorb more flavor and to thicken the sauce.
- If your sauce is too thick, stir in another splash of stock. If it’s too thin, keep simmering until it reduces. You can also stir in a spoonful of cream cheese at the end for an even thicker, creamier consistency.
- Adding the cream at the end keeps the sauce rich and silky and prevents it from separating.
- Taste and adjust the flavors when it’s done. Keep in mind that parmesan is naturally salty and that the beans will soak up a lot of flavor, so it’s best to wait until the end to taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- If you want to use dried beans instead of canned, soak 2 cups of dried white beans in water overnight, then simmer them in salted water or broth the next day until they’re fully cooked.
- Make it spicy – Give the beans an extra kick with extra red pepper flakes, a diced Calabrian chili, or a spoonful of harissa.
- Vegetarian option – Make this with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and use rennet-free parmesan.
- Dairy-free or vegan option – Use vegetable stock, swap the parmesan with nutritional yeast or dairy-free cheese, and replace the cream with full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream.
- Add more protein – Stir in shredded chicken, browned Italian sausage crumbles, crispy bacon, or pancetta.
- More add-in ideas – You can add sautéed mushrooms, chopped olives, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers. Or, to brighten things up, add a swirl of basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto just before serving.
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