BEST Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans are a delicious and easy vegetable side dish cooked in under 30 minutes. They're the perfect side to add to your regular weekly lineup or to make for a holiday dinner!

You can also try our Italian Green Bean Salad if you're looking for a cold vegetable dish in the summer.

Looking for another delicious side with garlic flavor? Try our Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes or Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe.

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How to Prep Green Beans

When choosing green beans for this recipe, try to pick firm and brightly colored green beans without any brown spots. When you get them home, be sure to wash them and let them dry.

People often cut the ends of the green beans off but this is purely preference. You can chop the ends off or leave them. I leave the ends on and I leave the green beans whole instead of chopping them in half.

There are so many different cooking methods but for this recipe, we use a blanch/saute method that gives the green beans the perfect texture and flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Green Beans. You can pick haricot verts or just string beans for these garlic parmesan green beans. We use fresh green beans but you could use frozen if you skip the blanching step.

Olive Oil. I always choose a high-quality single olive olive oil. This will give you the best and freshest flavor.

Garlic. Slice the garlic, don't mince it. Minced garlic can more easily get burnt.

Parmesan. I rarely use pre-grated parmesan. It has all sorts of additives in it to keep it fresh. Use a block of parmigiano reggiano for best results.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.

How to Make Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Step 1: Blanching the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your green beans to the pot. Once it returns to a boil, boil for 3 minutes.

Step 2: Transfer the green beans to a large bowl filled with ice water.

Step 3: In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and bring to medium heat. Stir in the garlic and saute until it is fragrant.

Step 4: Strain the green beans and add them to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and toss the green beans in the garlic and oil. Add salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the green beans from the pan. Toss them in a bowl with the parmesan cheese. Serve hot with Garlic Parmesan Mashed PotatoesandPistachio Crusted Baked Sea Bass!

Pro-Tips

1. Saute the garlic low and slow. Medium on most stoves should saute the garlic slowly, but you don't want it to brown. If your stove runs hot, start on medium-low. 
2. Don't toss the green beans with the parmesan in the pan. All of the parmesan will end up just sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Recipe FAQs

Do green beans reheat well?

Yes! You can easily reheat them in a microwave or on the stovetop in a pan with a little olive oil. They will still maintain their texture for the most part.

Can you saute frozen green beans?

Yes, they do contain a lot of water though, so they will not be crisp like in the recipe we use.

What can you put on green beans to make them taste better?

If you don't love green beans, try adding cherry tomatoes to them when you're cooking them. You can also add nuts to the finished product, or season them with things like Old Bay or your favorite seasoning.

More Vegetable Sides

• Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan)
• Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
• Italian Green Bean Salad
• Sauteed Rapini with Garlic