1-First, prepare all ingredients by washing the butter beans and chopping the onion and garlic. This mise en place ensures a smooth cooking process and helps everything come together quickly.

2-Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the chopped onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. For a twist, I sometimes add in extra garlic here for that extra zing it’s all about making it your own!

3-Add minced garlic and smoked paprika, cooking for another 1-2 minutes to release the flavors. This step is where the magic happens, as sweating the spices in butter before adding other ingredients helps release their aroma and enhances flavor.

4-Stir in the cooked butter beans and vegetable broth, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Adjust the quantity of vegetable broth to ½ to 1 cup to control sauce thickness: use 1 cup for serving over pasta or rice, or ½ cup for serving with bread.

5-Allow the beans to cook in the broth for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. In the actual recipe, heat the unsalted butter with the minced garlic and spices in a large sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and beans, cooking uncovered for 5 minutes.

6-Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and add any optional herbs or spices. Finally, remove from heat, stir in the chopped fresh spinach until wilted, then add the heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.

7-Serve hot, perhaps with bread, rice, or pasta for a complete meal. Heavy cream can be replaced with canned coconut milk or vegan cream for dairy-free options, and grated parmesan cheese can be substituted with vegan parmesan.