Pasta with Green Beans (20 minute recipe) - Green Valley Kitchen (2024)

Pasta with green beans and cherry tomatoes – a quick and easy pasta dish with crunchy fresh green beans, sweet cherry tomatoes, olives, feta and walnuts – tossed with a lemony vinaigrette.

I’m all about quick and easy pasta dishes. That’s why I love this green bean pasta recipe – it comes together quickly, it works well hot or cold and is packed with fresh green beans, sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy walnuts, salty feta and olives. Tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, it has a fresh, mediterranean vibe.

Like other popular recipes on my blog – such as this ravioli with asparagus recipe or this pasta with cherry tomatoes and spinach – this pasta with green beans comes together in no time at all. You can make this in about 20 minutes.

Why I’m sharing this recipe

Quick and easy dinner: This pasta with green beans recipe is ready in about 20 minutes. The green beans and pasta are cooked in the same pot until al dente.

Bright and flavorful: This is a colorful, vegetable packed recipe with bright green beans and red cherry tomatoes.

Stores well in the fridge: This recipe works either warm or cold. So make extra and store the leftovers in the fridge for a quick lunch the next day.

Key ingredients

Pasta:I used mini farfalle but any sturdy pasta shape will work. Penne, orzo or fusilli would work well.

Green beans: Fresh green beans are chopped to bite size pieces (about 1-inch pieces) and cooked in the pasta water with the pasta until tender.

Cherry tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes add a hint of sweetness to this recipe.

Olives:Olives add a briny punch to this recipe. Omit if you are not a fan of olives.

Feta cheese:A little bit of feta adds a salty taste to this dish.

Walnuts: Add a nutty crunch. Sliced almonds would work well in this dish also.

Lemon dressing: An easy to make lemon dressing adds brightness and flavor.

Parsley: Adds a hint of color and freshness. You can use fresh basil if you have it as well.

How to make this recipe in 4 easy steps

The recipe steps below are a quick guide on how to make this recipe – a printable recipe card and instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

Step 1:Prep your ingredients. Wash and trim the green beans. Slice the cherry tomatoes and olives. Dice the feta cheese. Mince parsley and make the dressing. Have everything ready to go.

Step 2: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. When there are three minutes left on cooking the pasta, add the green beans to the pasta water. The green beans will cook with the pasta. Strain pasta and green beans when done.

Step 3:Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, walnuts to a large bowl.

Step 4:Add drained pasta and green beans to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes and olives. Toss with the dressing and add the feta cheese and parsley and gently combine.

Top tips

To keep the green beans a bright color, don’t over cook them. Add them into the pasta water 3 minutes before the pasta is done. They will retain some of their crunch and remain a bright green color.

Salt your pasta water. Salting the pasta water adds flavor to the pasta. It won’t be too salty. I add one tablespoon of salt to the pasta water before adding the pasta.

This dish comes together really quickly so prep/dice/chop everything before you start cooking the pasta.

Storage

This pasta green beans recipe stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s really good cold, so I usually make extra and store in individual containers for a quick and easy lunch to bring to work.

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