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.

Cannellini beans, kale, and cream sauce in a skillet, with a wood spoon dipping into the pan.
Saucy white beans with creamy Parmesan broth, garlic and greens.

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

Bowls full of cannellini beans, kale greens, parmesan cheese, cream and olive oil on a work surface.
Use pantry ingredients to make a 15-minute meal!
  • 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

  • Sliced shallots cooking in olive oil in a skillet.
    1. In a large skillet, soften the shallots or onion in olive oil medium-high heat.
  • White beans in a skillet with olive oil, shallots, garlic and chopped rosemary.
    2. Add the beans, garlic, herbs, salt and chili.
  • White beans cooking in a skillet with a scoop of cream getting stirred into the pan.
    3. Stir in the broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes.
  • Torn kale leaves on top of beans cooking in a skillet.
    4. Put the greens on top of the beans.
  • A spoon stirring white beans and kale in a skillet.
    5. Stir them into the beans until they turn bright green and start to wilt.
  • A wooden spoon stirring a pan full of creamy cannellini beans with pieces of wilted kale.
    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.

A wooden spoon stirring a pan full of creamy cannellini beans with pieces of wilted kale.
4.97 from 77 ratings

Creamy Skillet White Beans with Greens and Parmesan

Karen Tedesco
Italian-style creamy cannellini beans cook in about 10 minutes on the stovetop, in a garlicky cream sauce strewn with leafy greens and lots of Parmesan. Serve as a hearty side dish, meatless main or add a cooked protein such as chicken, shrimp or chicken meatballs to make an easy dinner!
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

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
 

  1. 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
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Serve the beans warm as a main dish, side dish or spooned over pasta for the ultimate carb fest!

Notes

  • 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

Calories: 258kcal Carbohydrates: 24g Protein: 11g Fat: 15g Sodium: 1088mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 1g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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