How Italians Turn Green Beans, Potatoes & Tomatoes into a Healthy Meal | Patch to Plate Series
If you are looking for an authentic Italian green bean recipe that is simple, healthy and full of flavour, this traditional combination of green beans, potatoes and tomatoes is one of Southern Italy’s best kept secrets. Made with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil and ripe tomatoes, it is a humble Mediterranean recipe that turns everyday ingredients into a satisfying meal. Whether you call them green beans or French beans, this is the kind of home cooking that has nourished Italian families for generations. It is naturally vegetarian, perfect for batch cooking, freezer friendly, and just as delicious enjoyed warm, at room temperature or even straight from the fridge.
In this Patch to Plate episode I also share why this dish has remained so popular throughout Southern Italy, where seasonal vegetables have always been at the heart of everyday cooking. Towards the end of the video, Julie takes us back into the garden to show where some of today’s beans came from and explains how she grows them. Even if you only have room to grow a handful of vegetables, adding something from your own garden to a meal brings a quiet satisfaction that is difficult to describe until you experience it yourself.
This is not restaurant food. It is honest Italian home cooking that quietly looks after you, one spoonful at a time.
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Ingredients
550g (1.2 lb) green beans (French beans)
550g (1.2 lb) baby potatoes
300g (10½ oz) cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 mild chilli pepper, finely sliced
A generous handful of fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Approximately 250ml (1 cup) water
Method
Today I am using a mixture of green beans from our garden and some bought from the supermarket. That is something I always encourage because even adding a small amount from your own garden makes the meal feel just that little bit more special.
Bring a large pan of well salted water to the boil and cook the green beans until they are just tender but still vibrant. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and keep the cooking water because it is full of flavour and will be used again. Add the baby potatoes to the same water and cook them until they are almost tender but not completely cooked through.
While the potatoes are cooking, gently warm the olive oil and soften the sliced garlic and chilli pepper over a low heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and allow them to soften naturally, stirring occasionally until they begin to release their juices. Tear in the basil, season well with salt and pepper.
Drain the potatoes and add them to the tomatoes. Add the water and let them finish cooking gently in the sauce so they absorb all those wonderful flavours rather than simply being boiled in water. Add the cooked green beans and gently fold everything together until beautifully coated with the rich tomato sauce.
Serve with plenty of the juices spooned generously over the top.
If you are making extra, allow the dish to cool completely before portioning it into freezer containers. It freezes beautifully and can be reheated gently whenever you need a quick meal. It is also absolutely delicious served cold or simply brought back to room temperature, making it perfect for lunches or picnics.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction & today’s healthy Italian recipe
01:00 Preparing the green beans and potatoes
06:16 Building the tomato sauce
07:27 Bringing everything together
10:12 Serving, freezing and storage tips
12:00 Back into the garden with Julie
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22 Comments
Thank you so much for watching. This is one of those simple Italian recipes that reminds us how satisfying everyday ingredients can be when they are treated with a little patience. I would love to know whether this is a dish you already make or whether it is new to you. If you do have a favourite family recipe using green beans, potatoes or tomatoes, please share it below. I always enjoy reading your ideas and experiences. If you stay until the end of the video, Julie also takes us back into the garden to show where some of today's beans came from.
Thank You!
I add some tomato paste …
Served with either lamb or pork chops would be delicious.
My family is from Naples..my mother made food like this all the time and everything from their gardens…the tomatoes cooked in garlic and oil is my favorite on spaghetti…
Amazing content. Simple, and from the Earth. Subscribed!
Delicioso! My mother used to often make a dish very much like this. (We are an Italian-American family). Such simple, beautiful "comfort-food." You've inspired me to make this.
I made this recipe tonight. I had green beans and tomatoes from my garden. This was absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing.
When I was a child, my mom prepared green beans, potatoes, onions and ham. It was delicious but I no longer eat meat and I really want to try this recipe. I love potatoes. Thank you so much.
MMMMM!!! I just got some beautiful Italian flat beans at the farmers' market, and think they would be perfect in this dish. And I love the idea of freezing some, so you can have a nostalgic taste of summer when it's cold and gray in the wintertime. Thanks, Chef Tortellino!
No way!! I was just thinking yesterday about what I wanted to cook for dinner this week and thought I would love to make Greek green beans (Fasolakia), and then saw this video pop up! I didn't know there was an Italian version of this dish! Your version and the Greek version seem very similar overall, but maybe this video is a sign I should give the Italian version a go. Grazie mille!
Looks absolutely delicious, I will make it as I have all these ingredients from my garden!
What a delicious looking recipe 😊😋Healthy and filling too . Thanks very much for that 🙏. From Australia 🇦🇺
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have to be a bit patient till my tomatoes and green beans ripen but then I can't wait to try it! (my potatoes are ready)
so fresh and healthy!💚
I have to make this, it looks so good! Thank you!!
Good morning Francesco and Julie, the fresh vegetable are absolutely delicious. I love this style of cooking. You can enjoy all the flavors and textures and green beans are absolutely so healthy, I just love them. I am sure the chilly just gives that touch of warmth in the mouth. Love your cooking style, always colourful and fresh as well as economical. Julie's garden is looking great. enjoy.
YUMMM!🧡
Looks so lovely😊
Looks absolutely delicious! Fresh produce and simple preparation. What a wonderful video – so well presented! Thank you very much.
Thank you for this recipe. I'm always looking for new ways to cook using fresh garden produce. I have all of these ingredients in my garden now! Can't wait to try it!
I was an adult of many years when my mother told me I didnt have to eat my beans. From a child, beans always had strings no matter how small, variety and young. Its not like she boiled the guts out of them either.