Pasta with green beans in tomato sauce is a delicious, easy summer harvest meal! Tender green beans boiled along with your favorite pasta and tossed in a fragrant basil and garlic infused sauce made with garden fresh tomatoes, what could be better?

I love this time year when I can prepare an entire meal made with fresh ingredients from my garden, other than the pasta of course. Tender green beans, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil come together to make a simple sauce to toss with your favorite pasta.
The perfect summer pasta recipe!
Green beans in tomato sauce are a classic Italian pairing such as in this dish. Toss in pasta and you have a complete meal. You may also enjoy this version without tomato sauce, if you prefer.
Variations
Of course you can improvise this green bean pasta recipe outside summer months by using canned diced tomatoes.
Use only fresh, tender green beans that will cook along with the pasta and finish the dish by tossing in tomato sauce.
You'll also notice that this dish is lightly sauced but if you prefer, you may double the amount of tomatoes used for a thicker sauce.
And of course, don't forget to serve with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese or even ricotta salata for a Sicilian touch!
List of Ingredients
- Fresh green beans
- Tomatoes: in a pinch replace with canned diced tomatoes
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
- Pasta of your choice: I prefer this dish with spaghetti but any pasta of your choice will do
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Parmigiano cheese: or ricotta salata for serving
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Trim, rinse and cut green beans in half or thirds.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large skillet, add chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 45 minutes.
- At the end of cooking stir in chopped garlic, basil leaves, salt (to taste) and olive oil.
- Add pasta to the boiling water. After 5 minutes, add the green beans.
- Cook until the pasta is al dente and green beans tender.
- Drain, reserving some pasta water, and add the pasta and green beans to the sauce.
- Toss to coat. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and stir in a ladle or two of pasta water as needed to loose the sauce and help it adhere to the pasta.
- Remove from heat, drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top as well as more freshly chopped basil. Serve hot with Parmigiano cheese at the table.
Recipe Notes
-Replace fresh tomatoes with 3 cups of canned diced tomatoes.
-This pasta dish is lightly sauced, if you prefer, you may double the amount of tomatoes.
-Instead of Parmigiano cheese, try topping your green beans and pasta with ricotta salata.
-If you prefer tomatoes without the peel, bring a pot of water to a boil. Make an X with a sharp knife on one end of the tomato. Blanch for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon and let cool slightly before peeling off the skin.
-I used tender green beans from my garden which I added to my boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
-Cooking time for the beans may vary according to how tender they are.
-If you prefer, you may cook the beans separately and toss them with the cooked pasta and tomato sauce.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more easy pasta recipes with vegetables!
- Pasta with Fava Beans and Peas
- Sicilian Cucuzza with Pasta
- Creamy Risotto Pasta with Zucchini
- Spaghetti with Zucchini
- Pasta with Broccoli
- Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Pasta with Potatoes and Peas
- Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta
- Spaghetti with Green Beans
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Escarole
Ingredients
- 454 grams green beans 1 lb
- 4 large tomatoes about 1.5 lbs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- handful fresh basil leaves divided
- 4 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 400 grams spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- salt to taste
- Parmigiano cheese for serving
Instructions
- Trim, rinse and cut green beans in half or thirds.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, place chopped tomatoes in a large skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 45 minutes.
- At the end of cooking stir in chopped garlic, basil leaves, salt (to taste) and olive oil.
- Add pasta to the boiling water. After 5 minutes, add the green beans. Cook until the pasta is al dente and green beans tender.
- Drain, reserving some pasta water, and add the pasta and green beans to the sauce. Toss to coat.
- Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and stir in a ladle or two of pasta water as needed to loose the sauce and help it adhere to the pasta.
- Remove from heat, drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top as well as more freshly chopped basil. Serve hot with Parmigiano cheese at the table.
Notes
-This pasta dish is lightly sauced, if you prefer, you may double the amount of tomatoes.
-Instead of Parmigiano cheese, try topping your green beans and pasta with ricotta salata.
-If you prefer tomatoes without the peel, bring a pot of water to a boil. Make an X with a sharp knife on one end of the tomato. Blanch for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon and let cool slightly before peeling off the skin. Storage: Keep leftover refrigerated for up to 3 day.s
Mary Tanguay
Hi Nadia
I made this delicious dish yesterday and froze a few servings! I used a small can of tomato paste with the tomatoes fresh from my neighbors garden and added some of my own basil.when I added the pasta and beans to the cooked tomatoes I added mushrooms. With the cheese and basil. Magnifique!
Nadia
Hi Mary, excellent, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Love the addition of mushrooms! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah Hoyt
I made this today... same day you posted! And it is really really delicious!
Nadia
Hi Sarah, cool coincidence and yes indeed so simple and delicious!