15-Minute Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and White Bean Skillet

A fast, rich, and comforting Mediterranean-inspired skillet dinner featuring creamy cannellini beans, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh baby spinach simmered in a velvety garlic-Parmesan sauce.

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 15 min
Servings: 4
MediterraneanItalianGluten-FreeNut-FreeEgg-FreeSoy-FreeShellfish-FreeFish-FreeSesame-FreeSugar-Free

Ingredients

  • •2 tablespoon oil reserved from sun-dried tomato jar (or extra-virgin olive oil)
  • •4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • •0.5 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
  • •30 oz cannellini beans (about 2 15-ounce cans), rinsed and drained
  • •0.5 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
  • •0.5 cup heavy cream
  • •3 cup fresh baby spinach
  • •0.33 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • •0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
  • •0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • • to taste kosher salt
  • • to taste freshly ground black pepper
  • •2 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

  2. 2.

    Stir in the sliced sun-dried tomatoes and drained cannellini beans, tossing gently to coat in the seasoned oil.

  3. 3.

    Pour in the vegetable broth and heavy cream, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, using the back of a wooden spoon to lightly smash a handful of the beans to help naturally thicken the sauce.

  4. 4.

    Add the fresh baby spinach and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted and the cheese has melted into a rich, velvety sauce.

  5. 5.

    Remove the skillet from the heat. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.

Tips

  • 💡Using the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar infuses the base of the sauce with intense, savory tomato flavor right from the start.
  • 💡Lightly mashing a small portion of the white beans releases their natural starches, creating an ultra-creamy texture without needing flour or cornstarch.
  • 💡Serve alongside thick slices of warm, toasted crusty sourdough or ciabatta bread to mop up every drop of the creamy sauce.
  • 💡For a dairy-free version, swap the heavy cream for full-fat canned coconut milk or cashew cream, and use nutritional yeast or dairy-free parmesan.

Recipe from TheCookbook.ai

Created by Basil Roux