Pesto Green Beans
Vibrant and flavorful, Pesto Green Beans are the ultimate side dish: a little elegant, still easy to make, and utterly delicious. Herbaceous pesto, a little lemon zest, and earthy toasted walnuts are the best way to take simple green beans up a notch.
Green Beans and Pesto: a match made in heaven!
We go a through a lot of green beans around here — it’s the rare vegetable both kids happily eat — and while simple steamed beans are our most common move, it’s nice to have easy ways to dress them up a little depending on the pairing or the occasion. In this spirit, tender green beans and vibrant, garlicky basil pesto are truly a perfect match.
Add a little crunch from toasted walnuts and a hint of freshness from a dusting of lemon zest, and you’ve got a side dish worth raving about. Fortunately, you can still pull this off in about 15 minutes, start to finish. I say that’s worth raving about, too!
Fun Fact
Green beans are not a tuber, but are a legume — just like peanuts, lentils, peas, chickpeas, and other beans!
Ingredient & Substitution Notes:
Green beans shine brightest in summer and early fall. Aim to prepare and serve them quickly after they’re bought. They actually don’t require refrigeration prior to preparation, and in fact cold temperatures can cause them to lose color, flavor, and that signature robust texture.
- Green beans. Trimmed and washed.
- Pesto. Here’s our favorite classic basil pesto and a fun zucchini basil pesto if you want to make your own!
- Lemon zest and juice.
- Walnuts. I like to use raw walnut halves and pieces, which are flavorful, crunchy, and pretty affordable. Slivered almonds are also a classic pairing with green beans. Pine nuts are also delicious but decidedly more pricey, pound for pound.
- Kosher salt, butter, and red pepper flakes. The red pepper is optional. It adds a nice, subtle kick, but the beans are still plenty flavorful without them if you’re feeding littles or other people who are turned off by any heat.
What is the difference between French beans and green beans?
If you are amused when seeing a grocery store bin of “green beans” next to one labeled “haricots verts,” you’re not alone — “haricots verts” is literally French for green beans. This said, American green beans and French beans, those typically labeled haricots verts, are indeed slightly different cultivars. French beans are usually more tender, thinner, and slightly longer. The flavors are extremely similar: in general, American beans are more sweet and herby, while French beans are a bit earthier.
Most importantly, you can use them interchangeably in recipes, although when blanching, as in this recipe for pesto green beans, you’ll want to reduce the cooking time slightly for thinner beans. Aim for 3-4 minutes in boiling water for haricots verts or unusually thin American beans. More robust American green beans may need 4-5 minutes.
How to make Pesto Green Beans:
Begin by blanching the green beans with a generous pinch of salt in a large pot of rapidly boiling water. Blanching green beans is a fantastic way to keep their bold snap and vibrant color, and as a bonus is really quick and easy.
While the beans are doing their thing, toast the walnuts together with a pat of butter, lemon zest and juice, and a smidge of red pepper, if desired. I use this same method in my pesto rigatoni with toasted walnuts — another 11/10 easy dinner.
Add the drained green beans to the skillet together with generous spoonfuls of pesto. Toss to combine, and serve right away!
Extra pesto, lemon zest, or even a dusting of fresh-grated Parmesan are encouraged for extra credit. 🙂
Storage Tips:
With candor, it’s best to serve this side dish straight out of the skillet, so it’s not ideal for making ahead. This said, any leftovers keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge and reheat well for lunches and the like.
Related Recipes:
Other favorite easy side dishes include roasted lemon pepper asparagus, garlicky green beans, tender roasted baby carrots, and crispy oven-roasted broccolini.
Craving more of a light, fresh salad? Try my favorite spinach salad with nectarines and pecans, healthy broccoli salad, or an herby potato salad. So good!
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Pesto Green Beans
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces green beans trimmed and rinsed
- kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts
- zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1/3 cup pesto
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, then add the green beans. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the beans are tender and bright green in color. Drain into a colander and set aside.
- While the green beans are cooking, set a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the butter, walnuts, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes if using, and another pinch of kosher salt. Toast the mixture, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until the butter is lightly browned and the walnuts are fragrant and golden. Watch carefully that the walnuts don’t burn.
- When walnuts are toasted, add green beans to the skillet, followed by dollops of the pesto. Toss to warm through and lightly coat the green beans. Top with extra pesto to taste, and serve right away.
