Garlic Green Beans are cooked in olive oil and tossed with lemon juice and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This easy side dish will be a great addition to any dinner!

 

These also make the best green beans for the holiday menu!

Why make this recipe:

Easy and quick recipe. Only 6 ingredients and 20 minutes to make!

Nutritious food.  Green beans are a great source of fiber and potassium.  Green beans are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C

Perfect match to any main course!  Garlic green beans are so basic and simple (yet flavorful) that they will work with any type of main dish.  Serve this with chicken and bacon pasta or broccoli bacon chicken bake.  This side dish will also go with bacon and mushroom pork chops.  Or, if you prefer fish, try parmesan salmon or trout.

 

How to boil green beans

How to steam green beans

 

 

Tips:

Use real garlic.

Boiling the green beans for 5 minutes will preserve their crunch.  If you prefer softer beans, boil the beans longer, for a total of 10 minutes.

You can use Asiago cheese or Romano cheese instead of Parmesan.

Additions

While garlic green beans taste great just as they are, you can easily enhance this recipe by making minor additions that will add a lot of extra flavor.  Here are some suggestions

Onion or shallots.  Finely mince onions (or shallots) and add to the skillet along with the minced garlic.  Saute for about 4 minutes until the onion softens.  You can use yellow onion, red onion, or shallots.

Lemon zest.  About 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to the skillet with green beans.

Coarsely ground black pepper.  Season the dish with coarsely ground black pepper at the very end.

Spice.  Spice up the garlic green beans by adding one of these spices: crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder.

 

Other green bean recipes

Garlic Green Beans with Olive Oil and Parmean

Garlic Green Beans are cooked in olive oil and tossed with lemon juice and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This easy side dish will be a great addition to any dinner!   These are the best green beans as they are easy and quick to make.  There are only 6 basic ingredients and total 20 minutes of cooking time.

• 1 pound green beans (fresh, rinsed, ends trimmed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, drain the beans.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add minced garlic and cooked green beans.
3. Saute on medium heat for about 2 minutes to combine all ingredients.

4. Remove from heat. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir.  Add grated Parmesan cheese and stir. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

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Simple and basic arugula salad is a perfect addition to any dinner!  Garnished with lemon zest and Parmesan cheese, this fresh salad requires only 5 ingredients and takes just 15 minutes to make!

Fresh arugula salad is an excellent side dish to many types of main courses.  When you spend an hour or so on making dinner for your family, it’s likely you don’t want to invest much more time on a dinner salad.  Featuring only 5 ingredients, this simple arugula salad takes only 15 minutes to make!

If you like the idea of a basic salad with just a few ingredients but want to use a different green than arugula, then you might also like this simple spinach salad.

What is arugula?

Arugula is a delicious green leafy vegetable that works great in salads!  Mature arugula leaves have a spicy, peppery flavor with a light mustard-like taste.

Arugula is also called rocket salad, rucola, rugula, or roquette (among other names).

Tips

Because this arugula salad is so simple and features just a few ingredients, the quality of each ingredient makes a huge difference.  Using high-quality ingredients will take this basic salad to a whole new level!

• High-quality Balsamic Vinegar.  I used a high quality Italian balsamic vinegar that I purchased when visiting Modena during my recent trip to Italy.  This balsamic vinegar has a thick consistency, and it pours more like a syrup.  The flavor is rich and sweet.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I recommend that you splurge on a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.  I purchase cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, which means that no heat was used to extract oil out of the olives.  When purchasing olive oil, I always check that it says “cold-pressed” on the bottle.  With extra virgin olive oil, it’s important that you buy/use the bottle before its expiration date, for best quality. Store olive oil in a cool dark place (away from the light and heat, such as heat from the stove or the oven). Many high-quality olive oils have a strong spicy flavor.   A good quality olive oil tastes fresh and never rancid.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. For best results, purchase a wedge of a good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and grate it yourself right before serving with the salad.

Additions

While this arugula salad is all about simplicity, you can easily dress it up by adding one or more of the following ingredients:

• Tomatoes.  Chop up the regular tomatoes into smaller bites and add to the salad. Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes will work great, too.  You can also use sun-dried tomatoes.
• Mushrooms.  Add sliced mushrooms on top of the salad.
• Avocado.  Adding freshly sliced avocado will add richness to the arugula salad.
• Nuts.  Lightly toast pecans or slivered almonds.  You can also add walnuts and cashews.
• Seeds.  Pine nuts are a great addition to an arugula salad.  You can also lightly toast some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them over the salad.
• Fruit.  Add sliced apple, pear, or mango.
• Cooked Bacon Bits. Sprinkle bacon bits to add more salty and savory notes to this salad.

Substitutions

• Don’t have arugula?  Use baby kale or baby spinach.
• What other cheese can you use besides Parmesan?  Use Asiago cheese or Romano cheese.
• Don’t have lemon zest?  Sprinkle the salad with a small amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice instead.
• Don’t like balsamic vinegar?  Skip it altogether and just use extra virgin olive oil.

Perfect dinner salad

This simple arugula salad takes only 15 minutes to make.  It’s one of the best dinner salads to prepare on a busy weeknight!  The salad has only 5 ingredients, including the ingredients for the homemade salad dressing, made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.    You can also use your favorite salad dressing or a store-bought dressing.

If you enjoy pasta dinner, the arugula salad will go great with chicken and bacon pasta or tomato spinach shrimp pasta.  If you like chicken bakes, make this salad along with bacon cream cheese chicken or basil pesto tomato mozzarella chicken. If you prefer seafood, try Tuscan salmon or trout with garlic lemon butter herb sauce.

Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Balsamic Dressing

This simple arugula salad requires only 5 ingredients and takes just 15 minutes to make.   Garnished with lemon zest and grated Parmesan cheese, the arugula salad is a perfect addition to any dinner!

• 5 ounces arugula
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

1. Add arugula to a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, mix Balsamic vinegar with olive oil, until emulsified.

3. Drizzle the Balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixture over the salad. 

   Note: you don’t have to use the whole amount of salad dressing.  Use just enough to drizzle.  

4. Top with lemon zest and grated parmesan cheese.

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Creamy Spinach Mushroom Tortellini with Caramelized Onions is an Italian-style stuffed pasta dish packed with veggies.  This easy and delicious meatless pasta is a perfect weeknight dinner!

If you’re looking for a simple creamy tortellini recipe, this is it!  To make this, you will need basic ingredients, such as spinach, mushrooms, onions, cream, and store-bought tortellini.  This creamy pasta was inspired by my farfalle recipe.

If you like this type of easy-to-make, family-friendly weeknight pasta dishes, I also recommend the following recipes: Italian ravioli with spinach, artichokes, and capers, as well as pesto chicken tortellini with veggies.

What is Tortellini?

• Tortellini is a stuffed pasta that features a distinctive ring shape.  Tortellini is traditionally served with broth.
• Tortellini is usually stuffed with cheese and meat-based filling.
• Tortellini originates from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, situated in northeast Italy.

Things I love about creamy spinach mushroom tortellini

• Meatless recipe. This pasta dish creates rich, deep flavors without any meat.  Sauteed mushrooms, creamy spinach, and caramelized onions provide so much flavor to the pasta that it stands great on its own.
• You can easily add protein if you prefer.  This pasta will make a perfect sidekick to any type of grilled meat, whether it’s steak, pork, or chicken.  Spinach mushroom tortellini will also work well with fish, shrimp, and scallops.
• Simple ingredients.  This recipe uses basic ingredients, such as spinach, mushrooms, onions, cream, and store-bought tortellini.  There is no need to look for that special ingredient.  These basic ingredients, when combined, create an absolutely amazing flavor profile!
• Easy recipe.  Because this recipe comes together so easily, it’s a perfect dish to make for a weeknight dinner.  Tip: make caramelized onions a day or two in advance to save time.
• Versatile dish. Tortellini is not the only stuffed pasta you can use in this recipe.  Ravioli will work great as well!  You can also use regular pasta, such as bow-tie or penne pasta.

Substitutions

• What kind of tortellini should you use? You can use any type of tortellini: three-cheese tortellini, spinach tortellini, beef-stuffed tortellini, etc.  I used refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini.
• What can you substitute for tortellini?  Use ravioli, gnocchi or bow tie pasta.
• What can you use instead of spinach?  Baby kale or arugula will work great in this recipe.
• What kind of mushrooms will work well here?  You can use button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, shiitake, crimini, porcini or oyster mushrooms.

What can you use instead of heavy cream?

• Half-and-half. You can use 1 cup of half-and-half instead of heavy cream.  Bring half-and-half to boil, then add 1/s cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.  Reduce to simmer.  Keep stirring while the sauce simmers until the cheese melts.
• Coconut milk. Use 1 cup of coconut milk to replace 1 cup of heavy cream.  Follow the recipe as is.

Can you make this recipe gluten-free?

Substitute tortellini with gluten-free ravioli or gluten-free short pasta, such as gluten-free bow tie pasta.  You can also use gluten-free gnocchi (be sure to check the packaging as not all gnocchi is gluten-free).

How long to cook tortellini?

Follow the package instructions.   The cooking times and instructions will depend on whether you buy refrigerated or frozen tortellini. If using the refrigerated type of tortellini (not frozen), usually you would bring a large pot of water to boil and then cook the tortellini for about 7 to 10 minutes in boiling water.

Cooking tips

• Make-ahead tip.  Make caramelized onions ahead of time, refrigerate them in an air-tight container, and use within the next 3 days.  You can also freeze caramelized onions for up to 2 months and thaw them whenever you need them.
• How to reheat.  Reheat gently, on low-medium heat.  Add a small amount of heavy cream or half-and-half to thin out the sauce.

SIDE DISHES

Spinach mushroom tortellini is a rich pasta dish that features a luscious cream sauce made with heavy cream. The best side dishes for this type of rich creamy pasta are fresh salads along with bread. Here are some ideas:

• Basic Green Salad. Make a simple green salad, such as spinach or arugula salad.  Use a simple dressing made with olive oil, coarsely ground black pepper, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
• Vegetable salad.  Serve a refreshing salad, such as Tomato Basil Avocado Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Dressing or Basil Pesto Tomato Avocado Salad.
• Broccoli salad. Here are 2 delicious recipes featuring this wonderful vegetable: Broccoli Cauliflower Salad and Broccoli Cashew Salad.
• Beet salad.  Beets are often overlooked, but they are great in salads.  Here are my favorites: Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Beet Salad with Spinach and Cashews.
• Bread.  Serve garlic bread or baguette with this creamy spinach and mushroom tortellini.

Add protein

If you crave to add protein to your dinner, this pasta is so versatile, there are many types of meat you can add.

• Grilled steak.  This creamy spinach mushroom tortellini will make a worthy side dish to any steak: rib-eye, filet mignon, porterhouse, flank steak, or skirt steak.
• Chicken.  Serve this pasta with grilled or sauteed chicken.  You can use chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken legs.
• Pork.  Grilled pork chops or pan-seared pork chops will work great.  You can also serve spinach mushroom tortellini as a side dish to pork tenderloin.
• Seafood.  Add grilled or pan-seared salmon or trout.  This pasta goes well with seared shrimp and scallops.

Other Pasta Recipes

• Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta
• Sun-Dried Tomato Mushroom Pasta
• Penne Pasta in Creamy Vodka Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms

Other Tortellini Recipes

• Asiago Cheese Tortellini
• Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini
• Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, and Bacon Tortellini
• Creamy Shrimp Tortellini with Veggies

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Tortellini with Caramelized Onions

Creamy Spinach Mushroom Tortellini with Caramelized Onions is an Italian-style creamy stuffed pasta dish.  This easy and delicious meatless pasta is a perfect weeknight dinner!  

Caramelized Onions

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 yellow onions (large)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Creamy pasta sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 08 oz mushrooms ((I used crimini mushrooms))
• 8 oz spinach
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 oz tortellini ((I used 3-cheese tortellini, refrigerated))
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (when serving)

How to caramelized onions (this can be done a day or 2 in advance):

1. Peel the onions, wash them and thinly slice them.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add sliced onions and cook on high heat for about 10 minutes, constantly stirring with the spatula.

3. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking the onions for 10 more minutes, continuing to stir, as onions brown even more without burning. At this point add a pinch of salt over the onions.

4. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes on medium or low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.

5. In total, you should have cooked onions for 30 minutes.  Remove the onions from the skillet onto a plate. 

How to make the creamy sauce

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet on medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook mushrooms for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms are soft.

2. Add fresh spinach to the skillet and stir on low heat just until spinach starts to wilt.

3. Add back the caramelized onions.

4. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the mushroom and spinach mixture and bring to a quick boil. Immediately reduce to simmer.  Keep stirring while the sauce simmers for a couple of minutes. 

Add tortellini

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions.   Usually, that means to bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add tortellini and boil for 7 to 10 minutes.  Drain.

2. Add cooked and drained tortellini to the creamy sauce. Stir on low heat for a couple of minutes to reheat.

3. Top with cracked black pepper when serving.

Helpful Tips about Caramelized Onions.

• Make-ahead tip.  Make caramelized onions ahead of time, refrigerate them in an air-tight container, and use within the next 3 days. 
• You can also freeze caramelized onions for up to 2 months and thaw them whenever you need them.

Substitutions for heavy cream

• Half-and-half. You can use 1 cup of half-and-half instead of heavy cream.  Bring half-and-half to boil, then add 1/s cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.  Reduce to simmer.  Keep stirring while the sauce simmers until the cheese melts.
• Coconut milk. Use 1 cup of coconut milk to replace 1 cup of heavy cream.  Follow the recipe as is.

Other Substitutions 

• Use button mushrooms, portobello, cremini, shiitake or oyster mushrooms.
• Good substitutes for spinach are kale and arugula.
• You can also use pre-made ravioli, gnocchi or short pasta (such as bow-tie or penne pasta) instead of tortellini.
• Substitute tortellini with gluten-free ravioli or gluten-free short pasta, such as gluten-free bow tie pasta.  You can also use gluten-free gnocchi (be sure to check the packaging as not all gnocchi is gluten-free).
• Protein.  You can add grilled steak, pork chops, or chicken.  You can also serve this with fish, shrimp, or scallops.

 

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Dried Cranberries is an easy Christmas side dish that will add colors and vibrancy to your holiday menu!

This is such a perfect Christmas recipe.  Roasted Brussels sprouts taste great combined with the classic holiday ingredients, such as pecans and dried cranberries.  Dried cranberries provide a nice, sweeter contrast to the Brussels Sprouts. And, there is a little bit of crunch from toasted pecans and chopped cooked bacon.  This side dish is bursting with colors!

If you enjoy colorful holiday recipes, you will also love green beans with bacon and butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.

What I love the best about this Christmas Brussels sprouts recipe is that it fits so well with the traditional holiday side dishes, such as green beans, potatoes, and stuffing.  It’s a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve or any other holiday!

This side dish is packed with vegetables and nuts. It’s healthy, gluten-free, and rich in fiber!

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon have become one of my favorite holiday recipes.

OTHER HOLIDAY SIDE DISHES

If you want to discover other colorful and vibrant holiday side dishes, check out these recipes:

• Garlic and Bacon Green Beans – crispy and crunchy green beans sautéed with garlic and bacon in olive oil and butter on the stovetop.
• Creamy and Crunchy Salad with Peas, Bacon, and Pecans – easy and beautiful side dish for the holidays!
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries – this vibrant recipe will work perfectly for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!
• Winter Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing – the holiday ingredient list includes red apples, pears, clementine oranges (or mandarin oranges), kiwi fruit, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds.
• Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate – perfect healthy holiday salad features Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing.

CHRISTMAS MAIN COURSES

Brussels sprouts and bacon will pair well with any Christmas main course.  I recommend that you try one of these recipes for your holiday dinner, especially the duck:

• Roast Duck is a perfect holiday main course!  This Roast Whole Duck has tender and juicy meat, crispy skin, and it’s glazed with the honey-balsamic glaze to give the duck a beautiful roasted look.
• Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce – this recipe will make a perfect main dish for any special night, an anniversary celebration, or holidays, especially Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
• Lamb Chops with Cranberry Balsamic Reduction – this recipe features holiday ingredients, such as pomegranate seeds and pecans. Simple lamb chops marinade is made of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Roasted Cornish Hen is made with root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) and onions.

HOW TO MAKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON

1) Start by cooking the bacon in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes. After the bacon is cooked, drain it of fat and chop it up into smaller pieces.

2) Next, prepare the Brussels sprouts by tossing them with olive oil and salt. Add them to a baking sheet.

3) Roast the Brussels sprouts in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.

4) Finally, in a medium bowl, combine together roasted brussels sprouts, chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• To save time, roast both Brussels sprouts and bacon on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.
• Optionally, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the final dish.  The dish should already have enough oil from Brussels sprouts and the cooked warm bacon.
• Soak dried cranberries briefly in hot water to plump them up.  This will make dried cranberries juicier, softer, and more vibrant.

HOW TO MAKE IT AHEAD

• If you plan to make this dish a day ahead, don’t add nuts. Add nuts only when ready to serve (to make sure they are crunchy).
• Reheat this dish in a shallow pan, such as a sheet pan or a sheet cake pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the ingredients on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Reheat for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F. Then add toasted pecans, when ready to serve.

SERVE THIS COLD OR HOT?

• This dish is best served immediately, warm or at room temperature.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Don’t want to use pecans?  Use pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pine nuts.
• You can use dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dried figs instead of dried cranberries.
• What is a good substitution for regular bacon?  Use prosciutto, duck bacon, or turkey bacon.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries

Christmas Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries will add color and vibrancy to your holiday table!   This crispy and crunchy salad might become one of your family’s favorite Christmas side dishes!  Dried cranberries provide a sweet contrast to the savory Brussels Sprouts.  There is a bit of crunch from toasted pecans and chopped cooked bacon.  

• 12 oz Brussels sprouts (ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 

2. Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.

3. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and toss to combine.

4. Place Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet, cut side down. 

5. Roast in the oven at 400 F for about 25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be partially charred but not blackened.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

1. Line the separate baking sheet with foil.  Add the bacon slices in one layer.  Bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is done.  You can do it at the same time as roasting the Brussels sprouts.

2. Drain bacon of fat and slice the bacon into small bites.

How to Toast Pecans

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Add pecans in one layer.

2. Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.

Prepare Dried Cranberries

1. For best results, briefly soak the dried cranberries in hot water.   Bring a small pot of water to boil.  

2. Add dried cranberries to a medium bowl.  Pour hot water over the cranberries and soak them for about 10 minutes.  Drain.

Assembly

1. In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, warm chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and soaked dried cranberries.   Toss everything together.  The olive oil from Brussels sprouts and fats from bacon should be enough to coat the ingredients.  If desired, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to mix with the salad (optional). 

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