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 <a href="https://themom100.com/recipe/green-olive-tapenade/">tapenade</a>. I love, love, <em>love</em> 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.

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