Tuscan White Bean Skillet

Creamy Tuscan white beans simmered with garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach in one skillet. ♡

This tuscan white bean skillet comes together in 30 minutes and tastes like you spent all afternoon on it. The beans soak up the garlicky tomato broth, the spinach wilts into silky ribbons, and a little parmesan on top ties everything together. For more ideas, see our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs.

It is the kind of pantry dinner you can throw together when the fridge is almost empty. Grab a can of white beans and a jar of sun dried tomatoes and you are already most of the way there. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Tuscan White Bean Skillet

• 2 tbsp olive oil, from the sun dried tomato jar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans cannellini beans, 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make Tuscan White Bean Skillet

1. **Bloom.** Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. **Simmer.** Add the drained beans and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes so the beans soak up the flavor.
3. **Cream.** Stir in the heavy cream and let it bubble for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. **Wilt.** Add the spinach in big handfuls, stirring to wilt. This takes about 60 seconds.
5. **Finish.** Off the heat, stir in the parmesan, basil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
6. **Serve.** Spoon into bowls with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

The magic here is layering fat and acid. Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil bring a jammy, concentrated tomato flavor that you cannot get from fresh tomatoes in 30 minutes. When you bloom the garlic and red pepper flakes in that tomato oil, you build a flavor base that tastes like it simmered for hours.

Cannellini beans are the perfect bean for this easy white bean dinner. They stay creamy without falling apart, and their skins soak up the broth. A splash of cream at the end emulsifies the liquid into a silky sauce that clings to every bean. Finishing with parmesan and fresh basil keeps it bright and Italian, not heavy.

This one pan tuscan beans recipe also freezes beautifully and reheats like a dream, which makes it perfect for meal prep. The beans actually taste better the next day once the flavors have married. For more ideas, see our Thai Basil Ground Chicken.

Tips

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce.
• Use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar to sauté the garlic. That is where the flavor lives.
• Do not skip the splash of cream at the end. It is what turns the broth into a sauce.
• Drain and rinse the beans well. Otherwise the canning liquid makes the dish taste tinny.
• Swap baby kale or chard for spinach if that is what you have on hand.

Variations

• Add crispy pancetta or bacon at the start for a smoky version.
• Stir in cooked Italian sausage for a heartier protein-packed dinner.
• Top with a crispy fried egg for a brunch-style spin.
• Serve over pasta or orzo to stretch it into four full portions.
• Make it vegan with coconut cream and nutritional yeast instead of dairy.
• Add roasted cherry tomatoes on top for extra bursts of fresh flavor.

Looking for more ideas? Try our Korean Ground Beef Bowls or Beef Broccoli Stir Fry next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Cooking the garlic too hard and burning it: Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly. Burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
• Skipping the rinse step on the beans: Always drain and rinse canned beans well to wash away the starchy, tinny liquid.
• Adding the spinach too early: Spinach wilts in 60 seconds. Add it in the last minute of cooking so it stays bright green.
• Forgetting the acid: A squeeze of lemon or splash of white wine at the end lifts all the flavors. Without it the dish tastes flat.

Tuscan White Bean Skillet

Creamy Tuscan white bean skillet with sun dried tomatoes and spinach. An easy 30 minute one pan dinner that tastes like Italian takeout.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 340

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil from the sun dried tomato jar
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
• 2 cans cannellini beans 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil torn
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

1. **Bloom.** Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. **Simmer.** Add the drained beans and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes so the beans soak up the flavor.
3. **Cream.** Stir in the heavy cream and let it bubble for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. **Wilt.** Add the spinach in big handfuls, stirring to wilt. This takes about 60 seconds.
5. **Finish.** Off the heat, stir in the parmesan, basil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
6. **Serve.** Spoon into bowls with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce. Use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar to sauté the garlic. That is where the flavor lives.

Source: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition estimates.

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