Italian Green Beans Recipe - Simple Italian Cooking (2024)

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This delicious Italian green beans recipe originates from my Italian family. It uses a particular style of beans often generally referred to as Italian green beans. However, you may have heard them called Roma, Roman, or Romano beans.

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Jump to Recipe

The recipe I’m sharing with you is very simple, it takes 25 minutes to make. This green beans Italian recipe produces a flavor you won’t find with regular green beans, no matter how Italian you try to make it.

The first time I had these was when I was visiting Italy many years ago. I was young and didn’t even know how to cook anything, much less Italian green beans.

Fortunately, my mother-in-law cooked fresh Italian green beans all the time, and so when I was first married I learned from her. I also learned from my father-in-law how to grow them which I explain in another post.

I’m so excited to share this super easy family recipe with you!

About this Italian Green Beans Recipe

I’ve seen many recipes for how to cook Italian green beans, and there’s a big problem I have with the majority of them.

Many fellow food bloggers will take regular bush beans, like Kentucky Wonder beans and try to make an Italian recipe from them by adding Italian herbs and cheese and calling it Italian.

It doesn’t work. Italian green beans are a different shape, different texture, and totally different flavor.

But friends, these green beans are in a class all their own, even making their way on my Italian Christmas dinner menu! So, if you’re looking for an authentic Italian green beans recipe that is truly Italian in origin, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s get started.

How to Cook Italian Green Beans

Since Italian green beans are not like the typical Kentucky wonder string bean, this means you don’t cook them the same in recipes either.

You’ll notice the difference right away when you see them, these Romano beans look flat and long in shape, not thin and round.

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In this post I’ll explain how to cook Italian green beans whether they are frozen or fresh. What to look out for and some helpful cooking tips. I know you’ll enjoy these just as much as we do.

And by the way, if anyone in your family doesn’t like green beans, don’t let that dissuade you from making this recipe. The flavor and taste are totally different!

Steps for Cooking These Amazing Beans

So you’ve grown your own Italian beans and are ready to start cooking them. When cooking fresh Italian green beans, there are a few steps you need to follow before you toss them into the saucepan.

I’ll step you through them here. If you’re ready to jump to the recipe, you can do that here too.

Trim and Cut the Beans

The first step is to prepare your freshly picked Italian green beans for cooking. Unfortunately, we can’t just pick them and cook them. We must prepare them first.

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  1. Clean the green beans with water and remove any lose dirt
  2. Remove the spine. This is the string-like spine that runs down the side. These do not cook away and we want to make sure they don’t make it in our final dish.
  3. Trim off the hard tips. You can snap them off with your hand or use a knife.

Do Not Cook the Fresh Italian Green Beans Whole

Unlike regular Kentucky Wonder beans, these flat shaped beans need to be cut. They are denser and thicker and we want to make sure they are fully cooked.

For this step, cut the fresh Italian Green Beans into thirds or fourths. You want the length of each piece to be about 1 ½ inches long.

How to Cook Fresh Italian Green Beans over the Stove

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Now we are ready to know how cook the Italian green beans! All you need is a small or medium sauce pan depending on how many beans you have, garlic, salt and olive oil. Do not overload the pan.

  1. Heat the olive oil in your sauce pan over medium heat
  2. Add the fresh Italian green beans. Do not pile them up high. You will need to make sure there is room for you to stir so they cook evenly.
  3. Add in a small amount of water for steaming – about a ¼ cup. It’s okay to have some water in the bottom of the pan as you don’t want the beans to burn.
  4. Add in some crushed or sliced garlic and stir.
  5. Now you can reduce the heat to low and cook covered for about 20 minutes.

You will know when the beans are fully cooked when the color changes from the bright green to an olive green. They will become very tender, not tough at all.

Make sure to check periodically that they do not start to burn. There should always be a little bit of water on the bottom of the pan.

So now you know how to cook your fresh Italian green beans. But what about frozen Italian green beans?

How to Cook Frozen Italian Green Beans

Since you can’t always grow fresh Italian green beans year-round, you many need to resort to buying them from the store. You’ll find them in the freezer section, but be warned they are hard to come by.

The benefits of cooking frozen Italian green beans from the store rather than using fresh beans, is that the beans are already cut and trimmed for you. The problem is finding the beans as they are hard to come by.

To cook frozen Italian cut green beans, follow the same process above, except you can cut back a little on the water. Just make sure they don’t burn during the cooking process.

Where to Buy Italian Green Beans

Not all grocery stores supply frozen Italian green beans and if they do, they may not always stock a lot of them.

If you can grow them in your own garden I strongly recommend it and make sure to save some raw seeds for the following year. Here’s an image of what mine look like:

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If you’re looking for seeds, there are different Italian bean varieties so I recommend checking out different sites such as GrowItalian.com. They have different types and I grew some this past year and they all tasted great!

Is it Better to Use Frozen or Fresh Italian Green Beans in this Recipe?

When cooking vegetables as a side dish, I typically tell you that fresh is always better. But in this case, whether you use fresh or frozen Italian green beans for this recipe, it doesn’t matter. I find that they both taste almost the same.

However, there are always benefits to growing your own vegetables. Italian beans are easy to grow and if you have the space, I encourage it.

Plant more than you need for the summer and freeze the extra beans to use during the off-season months.

How to Season Italian Green Beans

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Italian green beans can be easily seasoned by cooking them in the olive oil and garlic. Add a small dash of salt to help enhance the flavor.

Season these Italian beans with some garlic, olive oil, and even a small handful of fresh basil or some chopped tomatoes.

You can also sprinkle Italian Romano or Parmesan cheese on top if you’d like, but it is unnecessary. I recommend keeping this recipe simple when seasoning your Italian beans.

There are a variety of ways you can cook and serve this healthy dish, be creative!

What Does this Side Dish Go With

This Italian green beans recipe goes great with breads and pastas or my Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onion recipe.. It also is a good side dish for chicken cutlets and other chicken recipes.

Here are some examples of pasta dishes that cooked Italian green beans would complement well:

  • Lasagna
  • Stuffed Shells
  • Baked Pasta
  • Spaghetti and meatballs
  • Eggplant lasagna

Other Healthy Side Dishes You May Enjoy

If you like this recipe, you’ll most likely enjoy my other side dishes too that are super healthy.

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How to Make Chickpea Salad – If you’ve never tried a chickpea salad, it’s super easy and healthy!

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How to Make Pan Fried Zucchini Flowers – This recipe is perfect for summer days where you want the crunchy-ness of something fried without feeling guilty!

I hope you enjoy my Italian green beans recipe below. If you have your own versions, share them in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

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If you want in, just sign up using this form! I’d love to start sharing my recipes with you!

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Liz

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Italian Green Beans Recipe

A simple recipe for cooking Italian green beans

3.50 from 4 votes

Print Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • Italian Green Beans
  • 3 crushed garlic cloves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Dash of salt
  • water
  • fresh basil (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat extra virgin olive oil over and garlic over medium heat in saucepan

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  • Add frozen or fresh green beans

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  • Add in a small amount of water for steaming (more water to cover if fresh beans)

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  • Give a stir

  • Lower stove to low heat, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until tender.

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  • Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Notes

Tip #1:As the beans cook, they will turn into a darker more olive green color. This lets me know it’s almost done.

Tip #2: Add some fresh basil for some extra flavor. It tastes great!

Tip # 3: The reason for crushing the garlic is that it lends a good overall flavor without overpowering the beans. If you were to mince the garlic, the aroma would be stronger. But prepare it however you want it, that is the joy of cooking!

Tip #4: Keep an eye while cooking these and add more water as needed to prevent burning.

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Italian Green Beans Recipe - Simple Italian Cooking (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between green beans and Italian green beans? ›

What is the difference between regular and Italian beans? In terms of varieties, string beans or regular beans are long and rounded in shape. Italian, or Romano, are flat and wide with more of a nutty flavor.

How long does it take to grow Italian green beans? ›

For bush beans, plant seeds 1" deep. If using raised beds, place a seed every 2" and space your rows 12-14" apart. Keep well watered until beans germinate, about 5-8 days. A 2 x 4 foot section per variety grown should provide plenty of beans for the 2-3 week harvest of most bush beans.

Should I soak green beans before cooking? ›

Here's a secret you may not know: You don't actually have to soak your beans at all. Just add them to your pot and plan on cooking your recipe for another hour or two beyond the usual cooking time. Keep an eye on the level of liquid, adding more water, broth or stock if the pot looks dry.

What variety are Italian Green Beans? ›

Pole Roma. This is the Roma type bean seen all over Italy in markets. Beans will grow to 10 inches and remain tender. You can begin picking them at 5-6 inches.

Are Italian Green Beans the same as pole beans? ›

A flattened green snap bean that's also known as Italian Pole Bean, 'Italian Romano' is not only grown for its flavour, but also its excellent disease resistance and productivity.

What makes green beans taste better? ›

A little butter, minced garlic, and lemon-pepper seasoning are all you need to bring the best out of fresh green beans.

What is the difference between Italian and French green beans? ›

French green beans (haricots verts): These are smaller (3 to 4 inches), very thin, tender green beans. They are meaty, with only wispy seeds inside. Italian green beans (not pictured): They may be labeled Romano beans. The pods are wider and flatter than standard green beans.

How to cook green beans Jamie Oliver? ›

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Meanwhile, trim the the beans. Once the water is boiling, steam or boil the beans until tender. Drain well, then tip the cooked beans into the bowl with your dressing and toss everything together, making sure all the beans get coated.

How long does it take to grow green beans? ›

Harvesting. Green beans should be ready for harvest 45 to 60 days after planting, depending on the variety. Harvest beans while they are still immature and not fully developed.

What are the easiest green beans to grow? ›

Snap Beans (AKA Green beans, string beans)

Snap beans are easy to grow, and require very little in the way of maintenance other than regular watering. They aren't susceptible to many pests or diseases, and germinate easily from seed.

What type of green beans grow the fastest? ›

The flavorful heirloom bush bean 'Bountiful' is even earlier, bearing green beans in just 46 days. For pole beans, I LOVE the early-to-produce 'Fortex'. It's long, slender, delicious beans appear in just 60 days from seed and are high yielding.

Should green beans be cooked covered or uncovered? ›

Add the water and immediately cover. Cook covered until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and serve immediately.

What happens if you don't rinse beans before cooking? ›

Canned beans are packed in a solution of water, salt, and starch. That solution can leave a glossy film on the beans, interfering with not only mouthfeel (slimy beans are a little off-putting), but also the ability of the beans to cling to other ingredients in the dish and absorb those flavors.

What happens if you don't pre soak beans? ›

Modern cooking websites often say it doesn't matter. In a way, they're both right. Soaking beans can help improve the texture of the final product once the beans are cooked and reduce the gas produced when the food is being digested. But it isn't necessary to soak them.

Why are they called Italian Green Beans? ›

Geography/History

As its given name suggests, the Romano bean is native to Italy. Pole beans are known to yield longer harvests per season than bush bean varieties. Their seasons often stretch into the fall during shorter days and cooler nights, whereas bush bean types will yield abundant crops instantly.

What are the two types of green beans? ›

Bush beans and pole beans—or runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus)—are the two main green bean varieties, but there are many more cultivars. Bush-type beans develop in shrubs that grow to around two feet tall; whereas pole bean plants are climbers—usually up trellises or other structures—and can reach six feet.

Are Italian Green Beans healthy? ›

Green beans are full of fiber, which is an important nutrient for many reasons. Soluble fiber, in particular, may help to improve the health of your heart by lowering your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels. The fiber in green beans helps to keep your digestive system healthy and running smoothly.

Are Italian cut green beans healthy? ›

They are a low-calorie food also full of many key nutrients. Serve our Cut Italian Green Beans as a delicious side. Just heat and serve. You can also use them to make the featured recipe Green Beans with Bacon.

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