Italian Green Beans

The simplest, most delicious side dish recipe and the best way to eat green beans! These Italian Green Beans are sautéed in butter, sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese. Although these green beans are called Italian-Style Green Beans, they are versatile and can be served as a side to just about any dinner. Their flavor is so savory and your family will love them!

Can I use canned green beans in this recipe?

As you’ll see, this recipe calls for fresh green beans. But we often get asked “Can I use canned green beans?”.  Canned green beans may fall apart a little bit because they are “softer” than fresh green beans. Because of that reason, we recommend fresh greens for this recipe. The green beans will be slightly crisp but tender.

How to make Italian Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans trimmed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt for salting the water
• 2 tablespoons pesto sauce
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
• sprinkle shaved parmesan

Directions:

Toast the almonds:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Lay 3 tablespoons sliced almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.  (Start watching the almonds at the 5-minute point to ensure they don’t burn).

To serve Italian green beans hot:

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
2. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt followed by 1 pound green beans.
3. Cook the beans until they are crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Then, fish out a bean with a pair of tongs and taste for doneness. If they need more time, let them cook for 30- seconds to a minute longer and test them again.
5. Drain the beans well and let them steam dry for a minute or two.
6. Add the pesto 1-2 spoonfuls at a time andside use the tongs to toss the beans in the pesto until well coated. Add more pesto if desired, but it should just coat the beans.
7. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted almonds and shaved parmesan.