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 reduced and thickened. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan.
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 the cooked pasta and the beans to the same pot, and pour in the hot alfredo sauce. Toss to coat the pasta and beans well.
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 Parmesan, and either toss yourself or let each diner toss their serving. Sprinkle with parsley as desired and serve hot.
Notes
The Parmesan and the olives are the priciest of all the ingredients, but you really don’t need all that much of each. And yes, you can buy the best aged authentic DOP Parmesan at the store, and spend more, but if you go with one of the less expensive versions (even domestic *gasp*) you can get off pretty cheaply. Just promise me that you will never reach for grated cheese in a can, that’s all I ask.