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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Lately I’ve been on a quest to add new recipes like these to my weeknight repertoire, ones that 1) look and taste great, 2) feel like spring, and 3) slide in under the wire at a truly reasonable budget. I started with the thought of tapenade. I love, love, love tapenade (read: olives; read: salt), but when made with black olives it’s not always the prettiest condiment at the ball. So in the spirit of green, I went for some brightly hued Castevetrano olives as the anchor. And then I wondered if pairing something creamy with the tapenade might not be a nice way to temper the intensity of the brininess. When thoughts of creamy pasta float through the mind, the word “Alfredo” is never far behind. And then I needed a vegetable. A cheap and cheerful and substantial vegetable. Green beans! Green beans are one of the biggest bargains at the store, especially when they’re in season: It feels like you’re getting them for almost nothing. —Katie Workman
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Ingredients
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4 tablespoons
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon
finely minced garlic
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1 cup
heavy cream
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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3/4 cup
finely grated Parmesan, divided
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1 pound
dried fettuccine
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3/4 pound
green beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise (about 2-inch pieces)
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1/2 cup
Green Olive Tapenade, recipe follows, or store-bought
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1/2 cup
coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- Green Olive Tapenade
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1 cup
pitted Castelvetrano olives
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2
anchovies, rinsed and chopped
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1/2 teaspoon
minced garlic
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1/4 cup
coarsely chopped fresh parsley
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1/4 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon
drained capers
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2 teaspoons
finely grated lemon zest
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2 to 3 teaspoons
fresh lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want it)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until it just turns golden. Whisk in the cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt (go lightly because of the salty tapenade) and pepper, then simmer for about 8 minutes until it its reduced and thickened. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, adding the cut green beans during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and green beans. Return them to the same pot, and pour in the hot Alfredo sauce. Toss to coat the pasta and beans well.
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Immediately turn the pasta and beans into a shallow serving dish or plate it up in individual bowls. Give a final grind of black pepper, dollop over the tapenade, sprinkle over the remaining Parmesa,n and either toss yourself or let each diner toss their serving. Sprinkle with parsley as desired and serve hot.
- Green Olive Tapenade
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Place the olives, anchovies, garlic, parsley, olive oil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarsely blended. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Continue to pulse or puree until the mixture is as coarse or fine as you like. Makes: about 1 cup
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