Nourishing Balance Blog

Green Beans Gremolata

This tasty side dish, by Ina Garten, can be made in advance by blanching the beans and preparing the gremolata separately.  You could also make this as a cold salad dish, depending on the meal and your mood! 

Garten, Ina: Oprah Magazine (p192), September 2012

Prep time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch 2-3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain greens in a colander and immediately place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color.

2. Place pine nuts in a dry saute pan over low heat and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Set aside

3. To make the gremolata, toss garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts together in a small bowl and set aside.

4. When ready to serve, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Drain beans and pat dry. Add beans to skillet and saute, turning frequently, 2 minutes, until coated with olive oil and heated through. Remove from heat, add gremolata, and toss well. Sprinkle with ¾ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper to taste ad serve hot.