Hello everyone!
I’m excited to share one of my go-to summer dishes: Green Beans like Spaghetti — cooked from raw to noodle-y tenderness in the juicy goodness of peak-season heirloom tomatoes.
There’s something undeniably comforting about spaghetti with tomato sauce—it hits just right with that sweet, tangy burst. These green beans give you that same satisfaction.
This dish is a classic in places like Italy (Fagioli in umido), Lebanon (Loobyeh), and Greece (Fasolakia). Each version has its own spin, like using Romano or French beans, adding white onions, or even potatoes. But the magic of this dish is in how the beans become soft and perfectly coated with the sweet, sticky tomato sauce.
The best part? It’s super simple. Just cook the beans and tomatoes together from raw, lid on, until the beans are soft and the tomatoes have turned into a saucy goodness. Then, take the lid off and let it reduce to a sweet, sticky sauce that clings to every bean.
It’s fantastic warm and even better at room temperature. I usually eat mine just as it is, but if you’re the type to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on your pasta, feel free to do the same here. Think of these beans like a great antipasti or mezze perfect alongside The Mother Butter Garlic Bread, with rice, or alongside grilled meat or fish. It’s a simple, delicious, and healthy homemade meal that I love sharing with my family.
I’ve been making this green bean dish for years but never wrote it down. Chef Clare DeBoer’s recipe, which beautifully captures the essence of late summer, inspired me to finally share it. Her inventive touch elevates the simple, seasonal ingredients I’ve always loved.
Green Beans Like Spaghetti
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Begin by pinching the stems off the beans (they won't soften in cooking). Then tear the tomatoes into large chunks (about 3 pieces each so it's easy to pick out their skins when they fall off later). Discard their eyes.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the squashed garlic cloves and half of the basil. Cook until the garlic is sticky and the oil is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, beans, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Stir well, put the lid on, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have become a wet sauce and the beans are tender, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook with the lid on until the beans are so soft they’re squashable, and some are beginning to split in half, about another 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring more often, over low heat until the tomato sauce is tight and sweet, and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 15 minutes. Turn off the flame, taste for salt, add the remaining basil and olive oil, and pick out any bothersome tomato skins. Allow to cool slightly before eating.
- EAT WITH a retro basil garnish, a grating of parm, tossed through pasta, spooned on top of rice or alongside grilled meat or fish; eat at room temperature with a tin of tuna and some hot sauce or olives. It keeps very well and – as is typical of braises – improves with sitting around.
Other healthy greens recipes for your family:
Old Country-Style Smothered New Cabbage
Quick and Easy Weeknight Asparagus
Nourishing Mess o’ Greens Recipe for Families
If you enjoyed this recipe and would love to see more, join me on YouTube and Instagram! Please comment, like, and share. It really helps! I would love to hear from you 🙂 And if you made any of these recipes, how did it go for you?
11 responses to “Green Beans Like SPAGHETTI:”
I was given green beans cooked this way when I was very young and visiting Greek relatives in Ohio. I remember it as a delicious dish. Thanks for the reminder…I’ll give it a try!
You’re welcome, Linda!
It does look delicious! I’m curious: when you’re (ok, when I’m 🙃) craving spaghetti, does this wonderful looking recipe satisfy the craving for pasta? The green bean recipe looks scrumptious on its own, I’m just curious if it can acts as a spaghetti substitute 😋
It has the flavor of spaghetti and for veggie haters, it’s a great side dish. As for a sub for a spaghetti craving, for me yes, but a craving is so personal. With the addition of a great flavored bread like garlic bread, I would think so. Thanks for asking!
Mmm…looks mouth-watering delicious. Bon appétit.
Lulu: “‘She kint take mich moor Cappin!’ does not apply to meatballs …”
I love it, Oceanside!
Yummy! My kind of dish. 😊
Wow ! Delicious recipe 😋 well shared 💐
Your step-by-step recipes should be a cinch to follow. You just glide the listener through the recipe. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy:)