Pesto Green Beans

September 28, 2020  •  Cooking for One (or Two), Vegetables

Sometimes just the simplest of additions can take a boring food and make it irresistible. I personally don’t love green beans – unless they come with plenty of bacon! Turns out pesto is pretty great too.When I harvest my basil every summer I make a very simple form of pesto which is just basil and olive oil, pureed in the food processor. I spoon that into ice cube trays then store the cubes in the freezer until needed. That way I can use the “pure” basil in a variety of dishes, everything from a Thai coconut and basil curry to traditional Italian pesto, like I did here. I had some leftover beans that I tossed with cooked pasta, extra virgin olive oil, and toasted pine nuts for lunch the next day. Pretty great for leftovers!

Pesto Green Beans
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons simple basil pesto (only basil and olive oil)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
  • 1-2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • ½ pound green beans, trimmed and steamed or boiled to desire level of doneness
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine the garlic, simple basil pesto, pine nuts, and cheese in a food processor and roughly pulse. Toss the pesto with the hot, cooked green beans. Finish by drizzling with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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