Marry Me Lentils (With Creamy Tuscan Sauce)

Name: Marry Me Lentils (With Creamy Tuscan Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (28 g); 4 cloves garlic (minced); ½ tsp each salt, oregano, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped); 1 cup vegetable broth (236 mL); 2 15-oz cans lentils (drained, 425 g cans); 2 handfuls fresh spinach (roughly chopped); 1 cup heavy cream (236 mL); ½ cup grated parmesan (45 g); 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

By Sarah Bond, BS Nutrition, MS Sensory Science, Published Oct 06, 2026

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15 minutes

Serves 4 servings

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Creamy lentil stew with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a skillet.

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Lentils never get the glamour that chickpeas and butter beans do, which is exactly why Marry Me Lentils deserve a turn. Garlic and smoked paprika sizzle in butter, chewy sun-dried tomatoes add tangy pops, and a final swirl of cream and parmesan makes the whole pan glossy enough to drag bread through. One pan on the stovetop, no soaking, done.

If you’ve made my marry me chickpeas or marry me butter beans, this is the same creamy Tuscan sauce on a heartier, earthier base.

Creamy lentils with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a white bowl with a spoon. — This is the bowl I’d hand you if you showed up hungry: marry me lentils in a creamy Tuscan sauce, fully vegetarian and gluten-free as long as your broth is. Grab a spoon and some crusty bread.

I think lentils are one of the most underrated staples in a vegetarian kitchen. A can gives you plant protein, fiber, iron, and folate on a pantry budget. And when you simmer them for just a few minutes, that classic creamy marry me sauce? Pure magic.

The Pantry Dinner That Finally Gives Lentils Their Moment

Here’s why this one stays in my weeknight rotation:

Canned lentils and one pan keep dinner to about 15 minutes
Swap the spinach for whatever green you have on hand
Spoon it over pasta or veggies, or eat it straight from a bowl with a piece of crusty bread

Creamy lentil stew with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a white bowl with a spoon.

Creamy lentil stew with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a skillet with a metal spoon.

A top-down view of recipe ingredients labeled: broth, lentils, garlic, cream, basil, seasonings, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan.

Key Ingredients

Brown lentils: Canned brown lentils keep this a weeknight dinner, and they hold their shape in the sauce. Drain them well before they go in. Skip red lentils, which break down into mush. Not sure which lentil to buy? My guide to the types of lentils breaks them all down.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Use the kind packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped. If you’re really opposed to them, tomato paste comes closest.
Heavy cream: It’s what turns the broth into a creamy sauce, and it thickens as the pan sits.
Parmesan: Add it off the heat so it melts smoothly instead of clumping. Grating it fresh from a block melts more evenly than pre-grated.
Fresh basil: Don’t skip it. It adds far more than you’d expect from two tablespoons, with a bright, fresh finish against the rich sauce.
Spinach: Two handfuls wilt in about a minute. Kale or another sturdy green works too, though it needs a few extra minutes in the pan.
Vegetable broth: A good broth matters here because the flavor carries through. My homemade vegetable broth is worth keeping in the freezer.

Sarah’s Hot tip

Add Parmesan and cream off the heat! Parmesan can clump together if it’s overheated, so the cream, parmesan, and basil all go in after the pan comes off the burner. The sauce looks a little soupy at that point and thickens as it sits.

A spoon lifting a creamy lentil curry with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes from a pan.

Dry Lentils

Can I Use Dry Lentils Instead of Canned? Yes! Cook about 1 ¼ cups of dry brown or green lentils in water until tender but still holding their shape, then drain well and use them in place of the two cans. Canned lentils are what keep this a 15-minute dinner, but dry lentils work well if you cook them first. My guide on how to cook lentils walks through it. Don’t add dry lentils straight to the sauce, since the one cup of broth isn’t enough liquid to cook them.

Serve it with

Crusty garlic bread is my go-to, perfect for scooping up every bit of sauce. A light salad on the side keeps the meal balanced, and my tomato burrata salad is a fresh, bright match for the creamy lentils.

If you’re working your way through the marry me family, my marry me mushrooms are the next one to try!

Let's eat more plants!