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I love the creamy, sun-dried tomato flavor that made Marry Me Chicken a viral favorite, but I wanted something a bit lighter with the same rich, craveable sauce – so I created Marry Me Zucchini and Beans. It’s got white beans, fresh zucchini, onion, tomatoes, and the same irresistible tomato cream sauce, minus the chicken.
I designed this dish to have all the flavor of a hearty, cream-sauced dinner, with more fiber and fewer calories, and it’s still completely satisfying. This vegetarian take on Marry Me sauce is one you’ll want on repeat.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How to Make Marry Me Zucchini & Beans
You can make this in one pot by sautéing the zucchini right after the onions and adding the beans and tomatoes in from there. I prefer cooking the zucchini and beans separately, then combining everything with the sauce at the end – it keeps the zucchini from turning mushy.
Creamy Tomato Zucchini and White Beans Ingredients
To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons): the base for sautéing everything and building richness.
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced): savory, aromatic depth.
- Onion (1 small, finely chopped): mild sweetness that balances the garlic.
- Zucchini (2 medium, halved and sliced): tender and mild, and it soaks up the sauce.
- White beans (1 15-ounce can, cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed): hearty texture and plant-based protein.
- Diced tomatoes (1 15-ounce can): the tomato base of the sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes (1 tablespoon, chopped): concentrated, sweet-tart bursts of flavor.
- Crushed red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon, adjust to taste): gentle heat to balance the cream.
- Dried thyme or Italian seasoning (½ teaspoon): earthy, herbal notes.
- Cream cheese (½ cup, softened or cubed): creates the silky base of the sauce. Heavy cream (½ cup): thins the sauce to the right consistency.
- Parmesan cheese (¼ cup, optional): salty, nutty depth.
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- Lemon juice (from ½ lemon): brightens the finished dish.
Creamy Tomato Zucchini and Beans Method
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
Prep Zucchini
Wash zucchini and cut into half moons.
Soften Onions
In a large pot with a bit of a rim, heat olive oil to shimmery. Add diced onion and cook, on low, until softened – about 5 minutes.
Brown Zucchini
While onions are softening, start to brown zucchini in another pan with a bit of olive oil that has been heated to shimmering, lightly brown zucchini – about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add Herbs & Tomatoes
Stir in diced tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and Italian herbs.
Add cream & Cheese
Turn off heat and stir in cream, Parmesan, and cream cheese. Stir well to incorporate, then reduce heat to low and let thicken, stirring occasionally.
Cook beans
Add rinsed and drained canned white beans, or rinsed and drained rehydrated white beans to the pan, and heat for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in Sauce
Add sauce over zucchini and beans, stir to mix, and remove from heat to serve.
Enjoy!
Top with more parmesan and some fresh chopped parsley or cilantro, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Creamy tomato Zucchini and Beans
Sauté aromatics low and slow. Cooking the garlic and onion gently over medium-low heat helps them release sweetness without burning, giving the whole dish a deeper base flavor.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Keep zucchini in a single layer where possible — overcrowding steams it instead of browning it, and you’ll lose that golden edge.
Season in layers. Add a pinch of salt with the aromatics, another after the zucchini, and adjust again at the end for the most balanced flavor.
Warm the beans before adding cream cheese. Cold beans can cause the cream cheese to seize instead of melting smoothly.
Adjust the heat with red pepper flakes. Add them earlier for a gentle warmth, or stir them in at the end for more of a kick.
Finish with lemon juice and fresh herbs at the very end so their brightness doesn’t cook out.
Serve immediately. The sauce is silkiest and the zucchini has the best bite right after cooking; it softens the longer it sits.
What to Serve With MArry Me Zucchini and Beans
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Marry Me Zucchini and Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 15-ounce can white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, 1 can
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened or cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions, sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- In a separate pan, brown zucchini and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Can be done in same pan t be one pot, but we prefer the flavor of browning vegetables and beans separately.
- Stir sun-dried tomatoes, can of diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and thyme into softened onions. Cook for 2–3 minutes until warmed through.
- Remove onions and tomatoes from heat, and add the cream cheese, cream, and Parmesan. Stir until fully melted and incorporated — it will create a silky, creamy base.
- When the sauce is fully incorporated, and the beans and zucchini are hot, pour the sauce over the vegetables and mix.
- Squeeze lemon juice over the dish and garnish with chopped basil or parsley. Serve warm — great on it's own, or with crusty bread, pasta, or rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this but I think you calculated the fiber too low.
All the calculations are done by my software, I’ll have it looked at!
Hi, Courtney! This looks delicious and I ran to the store yesterday for the fresh ingredients in hopes of making it tonight. However, I’m very confused! The ingredient list calls for onion, but the recipe asks to sauté the shallots. And, in your prep pictures, it looks like a can of diced tomatoes was used, but the recipe only calls for 1 Tbsp of sundried tomatoes. Please help. I really want to try this!!
I tried to clarify things in the recipe card and post, I hope it makes sense now thanks for letting me know about the inconsistencies.
Made it tonight. It is excellent. So easy, and so flavorful. Thank you for such a great recipe! It’s everything I hoped it would be!