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    Home » Side Dishes » Vegetables

    Italian Green Beans and Tomatoes

    Published: Aug 20, 2023 · Modified: Mar 24, 2024 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    pinnable image for italian green beans and tomatoes.

    You can make Italian Green Beans and Tomatoes in 25 minutes! You'll love my family's recipe from Naples featuring sautéed green beans with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. It's a delicious vegan side dish!

    plate of green beans and tomatoes garnished with parsley.

    If you've never tried Italian-style green beans with tomatoes, you don't know what you've been missing!

    Think of tender green beans sautéed in olive oil and garlic, with cooked tomatoes and fresh parsley. It's a feast for the senses, with bright colors, an enticing aroma and the most delicious flavor!

    It's a winning combination that's similar to these Italian Mushrooms with Tomatoes, another family favorite from Naples.

    Add this vegan green bean recipe to your must-make list and thank me later!

    Recipe ingredients

    raw green beans, tomatoes, oil, garlic, seasonings

    Green Beans: For the best texture, use fresh green beans instead of frozen or canned. Start with whole green beans and snap the ends off or buy the trimmed ones in a bag.

    You can use string beans (also called snap beans) as pictured here, or buy flat Italian green beans, known as Romano beans or Italian pole beans.

    Tomatoes: I prefer using whole, peeled, canned tomatoes (affiliate link) here, but Mom often uses fresh ones. The canned ones will dull the veggies' green color a bit (thanks to the citric acid), but will produce more of a tomato-sauce effect.

    It.Is.Everything!!!

    You can use tomatoes from the same can to make Cod with Tomatoes to enjoy with the green beans. It's the best combination!

    How to make it

    See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.

    garlic in pan. add green beans. add tomatoes.
    1. Sauté the garlic briefly in olive oil in a non-stick skillet (affiliate link).
    2. Add steamed or boiled green beans, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
    3. Push aside the green beans and add peeled, seeded and drained tomato pieces to the center of the pan. Cook the tomatoes down for a few minutes.
    4. Stir the green beans and tomatoes to combine them and sauté just until tender. Add the parsley.
    skillet of green beans with tomatoes

    Recipe tips

    • It's important to pre-cook the green beans before adding them to the skillet. Otherwise, it will take a long time to get the green beans tender in the pan.
    • Drain the juice from the tomatoes before adding them to the pan, so the green beans won't become soggy.
    • Discard most of the tomato seeds, since they tend to be bitter.

    What to serve with it

    If you can have the carbs, you've got to try this with some Homemade Italian Bread to dip in that heavenly, saucy oil! It makes a wonderful lunch.

    And I sometimes sprinkle on Parmesan cheese for a salty kick of flavor. If dairy isn't an issue, you should try it! These Italian green beans with tomatoes are almost as satisfying as a dish of pasta.

    But if you want to serve this as a side dish, the green beans go really well with Oven-Roasted Cod, Italian Chicken Cutlets, Lasagna with Ricotta or Broiled Scallops.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do you say 'green beans' in Italian?

    Fagiolini is the Italian word for green beans. Fagioli means beans in Italian. You may have heard of Pasta e Fagioli!

    Is this a healthy green bean recipe?

    Yes! Italian Green Beans with Tomatoes are a low-calorie, low-carb side dish. Green beans are a good source of fiber and protein and help reduce inflammation, according to the American Heart Association.

    More Italian side dishes

    If you're looking for more green bean side dishes, check out these Skillet Green Beans and this Potato and Green Bean Salad.

    If you love tomatoes, don't miss this Italian Tomato Salad Recipe, Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze, Sicilian Eggplant Salad or Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes!

    Enjoy!

    If you try this Italian Green Beans and Tomatoes recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!

    green beans with tomato sauce and parsley on plate

    Italian Green Beans and Tomatoes

    You'll love my family's recipe from Naples featuring sautéed green beans with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil!
    4.46 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 -8
    Calories: 117kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    • 2 12-ounce bags fresh, trimmed green beans (Buy the ones in a bag or trim them yourself.)
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 5 tablespoons olive oil (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon)
    • ⅜ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 5 whole peeled tomatoes from a 28-ounce can (drained; canned are preferred, but you can use 5 peeled, fresh Roma tomatoes instead)
    • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (flat or curly)
    • Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • If starting with fresh green beans that need to be trimmed, rinse them, snap off the ends, and peel off the strings. If starting with trimmed green beans in a bag, just proceed to the next step.
    • Boil the green beans for 10 minutes or follow the microwave instructions on the bag to steam them. You also could steam fresh green beans by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl with three tablespoons of water, covering with plastic wrap and cooking on high for 5-6 minutes. Drain any cooking water and pat the green beans dry with a paper towel.
    • While the green beans are cooking, peel the garlic and finely chop it.
    • Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for a minute, stirring and being careful not to let it burn. Then add the green beans, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and raise the heat to medium-high.
    • Let the green beans cook uncovered in the pan while you prepare the tomatoes. Use a slotted spoon to remove five peeled tomatoes from a can and add them to a small bowl. (Save the rest for another use.) Break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Drain the extra liquid in a fine mesh strainer and discard most of the seeds.
    • Push aside the green beans in the pan, making room in the center. Add the tomato pieces to the middle of the pan. Let them cook down for five minutes, stirring as needed so they don't stick.
    • While the tomatoes are cooking, rinse the parsley, discard the stems, and cut it up with scissors (or chop it).
    • Stir the cooked tomatoes into the green beans. Taste a green bean to see if it's done. The green beans need to be tender but not mushy. They should be able to bend easily. Cook for a few more minutes if needed.
    • When the green beans are done, turn off the heat. Stir in the parsley.
    • Serve the green beans at room temperature. If desired, you can serve it with grated Parmesan. It's great with bread to dip in the oil from the pan.
    • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.

    Notes

    Canned tomatoes will provide more of a sauce effect than fresh tomatoes. I prefer the canned tomatoes here for that reason.
    The citric acid in the canned tomatoes will make the green beans turn yellowish. If you steam the green beans instead of boiling them first, they'll be greener.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 612IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!

    (Recipe Source: This is a family recipe adapted from my Mom, who doesn't measure anything. She probably uses a little more olive oil. Originally published on June 27, 2017 and updated now with additional photos and information.)

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    Comments

    1. Anna Bucciarlli says

      August 26, 2023 at 11:30 am

      5 stars
      This is exactly how I do it as I grew up with mama making it just as your recipe calls for, I am going now to my local farm stand to buu a bunch of fresh green beans because you've made my mouth water for them done this way. Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        August 28, 2023 at 2:11 pm

        Hi Anna - I hope you enjoy the green beans!

        Reply
    2. Hannah Flack says

      March 16, 2020 at 12:40 am

      I’m going to finally try this recipe next week! So excited 🙂

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        March 16, 2020 at 9:42 am

        Hi Hannah - I hope you enjoy these green beans as much as we do!

        Reply
    3. Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says

      August 01, 2017 at 12:40 pm

      Definite favorite here too Andrea-yum I could eat some right this minute.

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        August 01, 2017 at 3:52 pm

        Italian vegetable dishes are so good. Thanks, Cheryl!

        Reply
    4. annie@ciaochowbambina says

      June 28, 2017 at 10:20 am

      This dish is a favorite!! We ate these all the time, growing up! Mom would sometimes throw a little sauce in the pan...always so good!!

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        June 28, 2017 at 11:52 am

        I bet it's really good with a little sauce! This is such a simple, unassuming dish that packs so much flavor.

        Reply
    5. Sues says

      June 27, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      These look like the most delicious green beans!! I'm always looking for fun sides to make and am loving these 🙂

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        June 27, 2017 at 6:14 pm

        They are really good. The four of us in my household polished off the entire bowl in one day. Thanks, Sues!

        Reply
    6. Lindsay Cotter says

      June 27, 2017 at 12:59 pm

      I could totally made a meal out of these Italian green beans! Love the tomatoes and garlic! Everything looks so fresh and delicious! This will be a perfect side dish for any occasion too!

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        June 27, 2017 at 6:13 pm

        I really love to make a meal of these for lunch. But, it's a great side dish too. 🙂 Thanks, Lindsay!

        Reply
    7. Beth says

      June 27, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      5 stars
      Green beans are my favorite vege! I love the sound of this with the olive oil and tomatoes! What a great side!

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        June 27, 2017 at 6:11 pm

        This works well as a side dish that can be made ahead of time and is always a hit. Thanks, Beth!

        Reply
    8. Luci's Morsels says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:56 am

      5 stars
      This has got to be the yummiest green bean recipe I have even seen. Thank you for sharing! I cannot wait to try this one.

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        June 27, 2017 at 12:06 pm

        Aw, thanks, Luci! I hope you love this dish as much as we do.

        Reply
    4.46 from 11 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Andrea, also known as Mamma C. I've been sharing family-tested recipes from my Italian-American kitchen for a decade! I hope you'll visit often!

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