Because I'm still in my bean era.
If you opened a dictionary to the definition of spring comfort food, I’m pretty sure you’d find these one-pan white beans with asparagus and peas. Cannellini beans are tossed with crisp spring veggies in a light creamy sauce and showered with Parmesan for a light but satisfying skillet dinner.
Cannellinis are my bean of choice here: sometimes sold as white kidney beans, they’re slightly larger and creamier than other varieties of small white beans. They can be a bit more expensive, depending on your grocery store, but they’re totally worth it. If you can’t find them for some reason, navy or great northern beans would work as well.
The two secrets to perfect crisp-tender bright green asparagus are a lot of salt in the cooking water and a quick shock into cold water as soon as they come out of the pot to stop the cooking process. An ice bath will give you the absolute best results; if you live in a small apartment like me and don’t have ice on demand, running the asparagus under super cold running water until it’s completely cooled will also work.
These beans are best fresh but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits, so I recommend adding a little water to loosen the consistency when you reheat them.
Enjoy!
One-Pan White Beans with Asparagus and Peas
(Serves 4)
2 (14.5-oz) cans cannellini beans
6 oz. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp. (or more) kosher salt, divided
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (or more) water
½ oz. parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about ¼ cup), plus more for serving
½ c. frozen peas, thawed
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Equipment: large pan
Instructions
Pour off ¼ cup cannellini bean liquid and reserve. Drain remaining liquid off beans and set beans aside.
In a large pan, bring ½” water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir until dissolved. Add asparagus and return to a simmer if necessary; cover and steam until bright green and just tender, 2-3 minutes. Immediately drain asparagus into a fine-mesh sieve and run under cold water until cool. Set aside.
Return pan to medium heat and melt butter. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in cannellini beans, heavy cream, ¼ cup water, and ¼ cup reserved bean liquid; season with ½ teaspoon salt.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes. Fold in ¼ cup shredded parmesan until incorporated, then fold in peas and reserved asparagus; taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and more parmesan, as desired.
Originally posted March 9, 2025.
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