Creamy Skillet White Beans with Parmesan
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These Italian-style creamy white beans are habit-forming — they’re really good! Cannellini beans cook in about 10 minutes on the stovetop, in a garlicky cream sauce strewn with leafy greens and lots of Parmesan. Serve it as a hearty side dish, meatless main or alongside chicken, sausage, shrimp to make an easy dinner.
Comforting, satisfying and super-tasty — that’s the best way to describe this dish, which puts humble cannellini beans front and center. Beans are often on my weeknight menu rotation. I can’t imagine living without them. I cook white beans from scratch to make my creamy Tuscan white bean soup, stews, and so much more.
Key ingredients
- White beans: Cannellini are satisfyingly creamy-textured and starchy. They make a hearty dish, and they’re my favorite type of white bean to use in this recipe. Other white beans such as Great Northern beans, butter beans or navy beans will work perfectly, as well as larger white beans like corona or Greek gigante.
- Garlic: There’s nothing better with white beans! Grating fresh garlic cloves (or pushing them through a garlic press) quickly infuses a punchy taste straight into the beans and sauce.
- Herbs: I like to use aromatic Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme. The simmering white beans quickly absorb the herb oils and the flavor is outstanding. I like to use fresh chopped herbs, but dried herbs will also work — just use about half the amount because they are more potent.
- Cream: Heavy cream enhances the naturally creamy texture of white beans (especially cannellini beans). To make this a vegan meal, you can use full-fat coconut milk or plant-based cream substitute you enjoy.
How to make the recipe
1. In a large skillet, soften the shallots or onion in olive oil medium-high heat. 2. Add the beans, garlic, herbs, salt and chili.
3. Stir in the broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes. 4. Put the greens on top of the beans.
5. Stir them into the beans until they turn bright green and start to wilt. 6. Stir in the cheese and serve.
- The cooked beans keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to one month: cool completely, then pack into an airtight container.
Serving and flavor-pairing ideas
White beans are a neutral canvas, and go best with bold seasonings and spices. Try them with sweet roasted tomatoes, spooned on top of toasted sourdough as a hearty crostini, or simply spooned over cooked pasta for the ultimate carb fest.
Creamy Skillet White Beans with Greens and Parmesan
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sliced shallot or yellow onion
- 3 cups cannellini beans, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream, or creme fraiche
- 3 cups torn leafy greens, such as kale or spinach
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put the olive oil and shallots in a 10-12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes, until they're softened
- Add the beans, garlic, rosemary, salt and red pepper to the pan and give the mixture a stir. Cook for a minute or two, until the garlic smells fragrant (but don't brown it).
- Pour in the broth and add the cream. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat slightly and cook about about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Lower the heat and add the greens to the skillet. Stir them in, and continue cooking until the greens turn bright green and begin to wilt. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the beans and stir.
- Serve the beans warm as a main dish, side dish or spooned over pasta for the ultimate carb fest!
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Instead of broth, you can use some of liquid from canned beans to make the sauce.
- The cooked beans keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to one month: cool completely, then pack into an airtight container.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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I was a bit skeptical at first but WOW. This is actually amazing.
Soo delicious! Perfect use of a can of beans. I added a dollop of ricotta when serving.
This was really delicious, but I had a problem of it getting too dry. How should I prevent that in the future?
Hi Kim, so glad you liked it! It sounds like the heat may have been a bit high, which can evaporate the broth faster than expected. Next time, try keeping it at a gentler simmer and keep an eye on it as it cooks — and don’t hesitate to add a splash more broth if it looks like it’s drying out too quickly. 🧡
Delicious! I threw a few minced white mushrooms in to sauté with the shallots because I needed to use them up. We ate ours with homemade garlic bread. Our 5 year old liked the spinach, but not the rest (he struggles sometimes with the texture of beans). Our 6 year old asked for thirds. We had no leftovers. Will definitely make again.