The other day I was scrolling through Pinterest and an image of some cheesy, tomatoey gnocchi made me stop in my tracks and drool a little. But the funny part is that at first I thought the gnocchi were white beans. Long story short, I eventually realized that they were gnocchi, but was still stuck on this idea of white beans baked with marinara and cheese. I loved the idea of swapping gnocchi with high fiber beans, so I had to give it a shot. These White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara lived up to everything I would hoping they would be, and this recipe has quite a bit of potential for customization, so I can’t wait to share it with you!
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What Kind of White Beans Should I Use?
I used large butter beans for this recipe because they’re huge and look similar to gnocchi. If you don’t like butter beans or can’t find them, cannellini beans are a good second choice because they are creamy in flavor, still slightly larger, and they hold their shape well. And while you can use navy beans, they’re my last choice for this dish because they’re small and they tend to break down easily, so you won’t get as good of a texture in the final dish.
Can I Add Meat?
Sure! I designed this one to be a filling vegetarian dish, but this recipe easily accommodates the addition of meat. My first choice would be Italian sausage (browned in the skillet before the mushrooms), but pepperoni would also be pretty amazing. You can either crisp up the pepperoni in the skillet before adding the mushrooms, or chop up the pepperoni and stir them in with the sauce.
What Other Vegetables can I Add?
If you’re not into mushrooms or are just looking for other vegetables to add in addition to the mushrooms, there are definitely some great options. Zucchini would match really well with these flavors, as would spinach. For zucchini, I suggest slicing and sautéing after the mushrooms. For spinach, stir it in after the sauce has heated through, just until it is wilted. Eggplant would also be amazing, just dice and sauté after the mushrooms.
How to Serve White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara
You’ll want to sop up every drop of that marinara, so I suggest serving this dish with a side of Garlic Bread. Also, because garlic bread is always a good idea. You can also spoon this mixture over something like zoodles, a halved roasted eggplant, or, if you’re not trying to avoid pasta, just serve it over a bed of good ol’ pasta.
White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($2.29)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 cups marinara (or more to your liking) ($1.00)
- 2 15oz. cans butter beans ($2.00)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 4 oz. mozzarella ($0.65)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wash and slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a deep skillet. Sauté the mushrooms until they have wilted and all the moisture in the skillet has evaporated.
- While the mushrooms are sautéing, mince the garlic, drain and rinse the butter beans. Add the garlic to the skillet with the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes more.
- Add the rinsed butter beans, marinara, basil, and red pepper to the skillet. Stir everything to combine, then allow it to heat through, stirring occasionally.
- While the skillet is heating through, shred the mozzarella. Top the skillet with the mozzarella, then cover the skillet with foil. Transfer the skillet to the oven* and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Once the cheese has melted, remove the foil, switch the oven to broil, and broil the skillet for a few minutes more to brown the cheese (watch closely, as browning can happen quickly with the broiler). Serve hot, with garlic bread for dipping!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to make White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wash and slice 8oz. mushrooms.
Add the sliced mushrooms to a deep skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté over medium until the mushrooms are wilted and the moisture has evaporated out of the skillet. While the mushrooms are sautéing, mince 2 cloves of garlic, then add them to the skillet and sauté for about 2 minutes more.
Rinse and drain two cans of butter beans, then add them to the skillet with 2 cups marinara (or more if you want it to be slightly saucier). Stir to combine.
I like to amp up my jarred marinara a bit, so also add 1/2 tsp dried basil and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir them into the sauce, then allow the skillet to heat through, stirring occasionally (5 minutes).
Shred 4 oz. of mozzarella, then sprinkle it on top of the skillet. (If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, transfer the beans and marinara to a casserole dish first.)
Cover the skillet with foil, then transfer to the preheated oven, and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Remove the foil from the skillet, switch the oven from bake to broil, then broil a few minutes more to brown the cheese. Watch the skillet closely, as broiling can brown the cheese very quickly. (I also topped with a little chopped parsley for color, but it’s not needed for flavor).
Serve hot with garlic bread for dipping, over roasted vegetables, or over pasta.
One of our favorite recipes! We add ground turkey and serve it over spaghetti squash 😍 so good!
Absolutely delicious, simple, and cheap. I will make this in the future but probably add some Parmesan on top as well. The beans are so creamy and zesty!!
We have made this recipe at home many times. It is always a big hit. The leftovers freeze well for a quick lunch at work. It’s nice to have such a satisfying vegetarian recipe to eat!
This is one of my favorite recipes for a quick and easy meal for those times you’re tempted to just boil pasta and throw on some sauce but want something more substantial. I use cannellini beans since butter beans aren’t readily available. When I have it on hand, I toss in a few handfuls of fresh spinach. This also makes fantastic leftovers.
A perfect example of what Budget Bytes does best: an easy, customizable and delicious meal. If you’re reading reviews and trying to decide if it’d be a hit at your house- my meat-loving husband and picky toddler both love this dinner. I recommend adding a little fresh or frozen spinach and serving it with polenta but it’s awesome just as written.
I did a couple of things differently but the result was outstanding. This is now my #1 favorite non-meat recipe!!
I wanted a one pot meal so I added already cooked Swiss chard and kale from the night before into the mix. Instead of just mozzarella, I added parmesan/romano sprinkled on top and then added the chunks of mozzarella.
Onions and garlic are a big NO for me so I used fresh basil (about 1/4 cup), and a little thyme (1/2 teaspoon).
This was just great! Used gnocchi instead as I didn’t have beans on hand Also, I had mozzarella pearls that I sprinkled throughout.
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Hi Lin! We used to have a mobile app, but unfortunately it has been discontinued.
This has been a lifesaver for me so many times! It’s easy enough for when I’m completely drained after work, fast enough for when I’m hangry but want something more filling than toast, and cozy enough to be satisfying in and of itself. I’ve added zucchini or spinach, as others have suggested, which is also delicious, but the recipe as written is just about perfect as-is.
Oh my goodness this was delicious and brought me back to Italy instantly!!! It came together so quickly! I could have eaten a second portion but saving it for lunch. I added spinach and fresh basil just before serving, along side a whole grain toasted slice with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmigiana. Fast, easy and inexpensive, adding this to my weekly meal plan! Thank you!
This is great! My husband really liked it! And so easy!
This is a wonderful meal to add to the inexpensive, v easy to make, healthy and delicious toolkit. Thank you Beth for another one! We had never eaten, or even known about, butter beans and now I think they are my favorite bean. I added a zucchini in addition to mushrooms and it was such a good meal, and so healthy. I think the possibilities of adding more veggies, always a good thing, is kind of endless with this one.
Just made this (no changes to recipe) and it was delicious! My husband was skeptical but he loved it as well. Adding it to the recipe rotation. :)