This Mushroom Green Bean Pasta for One is such an easy one pot meal that it’s ready in about 20 minutes. It has a light, creamy sauce with tender mushrooms and green beans. Serve with sausage or edamame.
[This mushroom green bean pasta recipe was originally posted in December 2018. It has been updated with an updated recipe, photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
This recipe was originally pasta + Trader Joe’s haircots verts green beans with a delicious lemon mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, this side dish of green beans has not been available for a long time, so it is no longer useful.
After a few years, I finally rested the recipe without the package of TJs green beans. This version is almost as easy, super tasty and refreshing with some great veggies and lemon juice.
The sauce is thickened with pasta water and flavored with spices and lemon juice. It would be an easy recipe to add cream/milk to or substitute some water for a creamy dairy option. It is delicious in many ways. Do whatever you like.
I’m excited to share two game-changing tips in this Mushroom Green Bean Pasta recipe. The first steps may seem wrong, but they are so wrong that they are right.
First, I start cooking the mushrooms in water instead of oil or butter. This is because mushrooms absorb A LOT. I learned this from Dan (What’s Eating Dan) at America’s Test Kitchen.
See the link in the tips/substitutions section for the video tutorial.
Have you ever cooked them and kept adding oil or butter to them, only to see them disappear quickly? Well, again, they can absorb a lot of liquid. We start by cooking them in water to absorb and then we add a little butter to flavor them.
The other trick is to add the pasta to the water BEFORE it boils. Seriously. I’ve pretty much stopped boiling water and then adding pasta. Just do it all together. It saves a few minutes, which I’m always a fan of.
It doesn’t change the texture or anything of the pasta, it’s awesome! I learned this trick from Lan, also from America’s Test Kitchen. Her YouTube show, Technically with Lan Lam is such a great watch. Link to tips section below as well.
Anyway, I wanted to share a little about why I make this Green Bean Mushroom Pasta a little differently than you might expect. Try these tips and let me know how it goes. I hope they are as helpful as they were for me.
Components
Scroll down on the Mushroom Green Bean Pasta recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here’s a quick visual + description of what’s in this recipe.
- Mushrooms: Use white button, baby portobello or your favorite mushroom. Cut them into equal slices.
- Pasta: Use your favorite shape, I prefer a twisted, short pasta in this Mushroom Green Bean Pasta
- Water or chicken/vegetable stock: I prefer the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken flavor with water. Bouillon paste lasts a long time and is extremely useful for a solo cook. Seriously, try it!
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and salt: this simple combination of spices is wonderful with the vegetables and lemon in this recipe.
- Fresh green beans
- Butter: A little butter at the end adds a lot of flavor and silkiness to this simple mushroom green bean pasta recipe. You can also use olive oil.
- Lemon
- Parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
Scroll down to Mushroom Green Bean Pasta recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here’s a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. Add sliced mushrooms, pasta, spices (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt), and chicken/vegetable stock (or chicken bouillon paste + water) to the pot.
2. Cover. Let it boil. Cook on medium/medium heat until al dente. Add more water if necessary. You should have about ¼ cup left.
3. Remove the excess water, but save it.
4. Add the butter and green beans. Brown on medium heat.
5. Deglaze mushroom green bean pasta with remaining pasta water and lemon juice. Cook until desired sauce thickness.
6. Serve mushroom green bean pasta with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy.
PIN HERE to add mushroom green bean pasta to your recipe box.
Serve me
You can add a link of Italian sausage to the mushrooms and pasta and then fry it with the mushrooms. Or cook some ground beef or turkey. Steak, shrimp, edamame and salmon would also be good with this dish.
Or serve mushroom green bean pasta with one of these proteins:
Storage/Reheating Tips
Store mushroom green bean pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. This pasta dish will not freeze very well.
To reheat, add a little water or milk to the pasta and microwave until warm. Stir and enjoy.
Substitutions/Tips
- First cook the mushrooms in water. They absorb a lot of liquid and will use up all the oil/butter. Check out this What’s Eating Dan (from America’s Test Kitchen) video for more information on mushrooms.
- I don’t boil water before adding pasta, it’s a tip I learned from Best way to cook pasta? video by Lan Lam, also from America’s Test Kitchen.
- Use your favorite type of pasta in the green bean mushroom pasta, I chose a twisty noodle to hold the sauce.
- Steam all the green beans, refrigerate for another dish. They will be easier to eat once they are cooked!
- Double the recipe for leftovers for lunch or dinner.
- Enjoy this mushroom green bean pasta with steak, chicken, or steamed edamame beans for protein.
- Other great extras: cream or milk. You may need to add some flour or have softer noodles to cook and thicken a bit. Add lemon zest, sausage, TVP, cream cheese or other vegetables. Fried onions are also a good side dish.
FAQ
A simple lemon sauce, tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, or a simple mushroom sauce like this green bean pasta with mushrooms goes great with pasta. There are so many different sauces that go well with simple pasta.
Properly cooked pasta should not stick. But your pasta could stick together if you don’t cook it in enough water or overcook it. If it sticks a little, add a little olive oil to the pasta and stir. This should help.
I have found that pasta always tastes better with a little salt, olive oil/butter and a good sauce. It can be simple with few ingredients or a complex sauce. Focus on salting it well and adding a delicious sauce.
Reuse that pasta dish
- If you’ve eaten most of the mushroom pasta and have leftover green beans, serve them with a warm steak and mashed potatoes.
- If you have leftover green bean toppings, add them to salads, other pasta dishes, or grain bowls.
What to do with leftover materials?
When you cook for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of any ingredients, etc. Here are some ideas on how to use up leftovers. It will help you save money by wasting less ingredients.
Did you make this Green Bean Mushroom Pasta? Leave me a comment and rating to share how it went!
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Pasta with mushrooms and green beans for one
This Mushroom Green Bean Pasta for One is such an easy one pot meal that it’s ready in about 20 minutes. It has a light, creamy sauce with tender mushrooms and green beans. Serve with sausage or edamame.
Equipment
Medium Pot, with lid
Measuring cups, spoons
Ladle
cutting board
knife
Components
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- ⅔ cup pasta
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- pinch onion powder
- 1 ½ cup water or chicken/vegetable stock
- 1-2 teaspoons butter
- ½ cup green beans (ends trimmed) or a handful
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- grated Parmesan
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
Add 1 cup sliced mushrooms, ⅔ cup pasta, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and onion powder to a large skillet. over medium/medium-high heat.
Cover with 1 ½ cups water or chicken stock (or water + ¾-1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste). Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil.
Cook until pasta is al dente or to preferred texture. About 5-8 minutes.
Drain and set aside the excess water. (you will add it again after the mushrooms have browned). Reduce heat to medium.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of butter and ½ cup or a handful of green beans to the pan.
Brown mushrooms, about 1-3 minutes.
Once the mushrooms have browned, add the rest of the pasta water back in. This will be your sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Simmer until desired thickness.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. You can serve it as is or with Italian sausage, steak, edamame, shrimp, salmon, etc.
Notes
- Instead of frying the mushrooms first, I cook them in water, with the pasta. This is a trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen. It helps keep your mushrooms from absorbing ALL the fat! He is a genius.
- I also add the mushrooms and pasta to the water before boiling. Another trick I learned from America’s Test Kitchen. It’s easier, saves a few minutes, and still makes great pasta.
- Save the leftover pasta water, it’s full of starch to help your sauce stick to the pasta and thicken it slightly. It’s a great pasta trick.
- Use your favorite type of pasta, I chose a twisty noodle to hold the sauce.
- Steam all the green beans, refrigerate for another dish. They will be easier to eat once they are cooked!
- Double the recipe for leftovers for lunch or dinner.
