Thanksgiving is almost here again. I love all the traditional flavors but I personally need something green and clean to cut the starches and richness. The flavors are so great but the colors of Thanksgiving are so…..beige. It doesn’t get any greener than Green Beans! Nathan Lane’s character, Albert, says it perfectly in Birdcage, (as they gesture to Albert’s pink socks) “These? Well, one does want a hint of color.”
Not only do we get color with the green beans, the gremolata adds a bright, cleansing freshness with the lemon zest and a snappy crunch from the pistachio nuts (green too!). Another great thing about this side dish is you are not fighting with your oven for space. Thanksgiving dinner can be quite a juggling act to get everything on the table and have it all be hot. Not a problem here. Make the green beans ahead of time, reheat on the stove and toss with the gremolata right before serving. Genius! And Green!
Haricots Verts with Lemon Nut Gremolata. So fresh and clean tasting with a salty cheesy bite and a nutty crunch. I could eat a whole bowl of these for dinner!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch 3 to 4 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
Drain beans in a strainer and immediately put them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color.
Drain beans and pat dry so the butter will cling to the beans. Butter flavor is better than water!
To make Gremolata, toss garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, and pistachio nuts together in a small bowl and set aside. Set aside 1/4 of Gremolata to use as a garnish.
When ready to serve, heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add beans to skillet and sauté 2 minutes, turning frequently, until coated with butter and heated though.
Add 3/4 of the Gremolata and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the green beans in a serving dish and sprinkle with the reserved Gremolata on top as a garnish. Serve hot.
- 1 1/2 pounds French green beans (Haricots Verts), trimmed and cut in half
- 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced (about 2 cloves)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 small lemons)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
- 3 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch 3 to 4 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain beans in a strainer and immediately put them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color. Drain beans and pat dry.
- To make Gremolata, toss garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, and pistachio nuts together in a small bowl and set aside. Set aside 1/4 of Gremolata to use as a garnish.
- When ready to serve, heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add beans to skillet and sauté 2 minutes, turning frequently, until coated with butter and heated though.
- Add 3/4 of the Gremolata and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the green beans in a serving dish and sprinkle with the reserved Gremolata on top as a garnish. Serve hot.
