Roasted Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmesan
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Roasted green beans are a revelation, especially when tossed with chunks of garlic, lemon, pine nuts, and cheese.
While roasting is a popular cooking method for many vegetables, it’s not typically used for green beans—but it should be! Roasted green beans are truly a revelation. Unlike boiled green beans, which are bland and squeaky when you bite into them, roasted beans are tender, caramelized, slightly shriveled, and full of flavor. This version from Washington, DC chef Ris Lacoste, featured in Fine Cooking, is one of the best green bean—and vegetable—dishes I’ve ever tasted. The beans are roasted with heaps of sliced garlic, which turn mellow and sweet, and finished with bright lemon juice and zest, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and crunchy toasted pine nuts. I love serving these alongside parmesan crusted chicken or a simple steak. They can also be made ahead, as they reheat beautifully and are just as delicious at room temperature.
“I’m obsessed! SO much flavor. Made these as part of a Mother’s Day meal, and I’m officially adding them into my rotation. YUM!”
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Green Beans WIth Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts, And Parmesan
- Pine Nuts: These lightly toasted nuts add a rich, buttery flavor and a pleasant crunch that complements the tender green beans.
- Fresh Green Beans: The star of the dish, green beans provide a crisp, fresh texture that holds up well during roasting, making them perfect for absorbing the garlicky olive oil and lemon flavors. To speed this recipe up, use pre-washed and trimmed beans in a bag; it’s a huge timesaver.
- Garlic: When thinly sliced and roasted, the garlic infuses the beans with a deep, savory flavor, becoming slightly caramelized and mellowing out the sharpness of raw garlic.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil coats the beans, ensuring they roast evenly while adding a smooth, subtly fruity richness that enhances the dish’s overall flavor.
- Lemon Zest: Adds a bright, citrusy fragrance and flavor that lifts the richness of the oil and garlic, bringing a refreshing contrast to the earthy beans and buttery pine nuts.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps balance the acidity of the lemon and enhances the caramelization of the green beans during roasting.
- Lemon Juice: This adds a tangy brightness that pairs beautifully with the roasted garlic and nuts, cutting through the richness of the dish.
- Coarsely Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano: The cheese melts slightly over the warm beans, providing a salty, umami flavor that ties all the ingredients together with a creamy finish. Be sure to use authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the “Parmigiano-Reggiano” repeatedly. If you’re buying the cheese already grated, make sure it is labeled “Parmigiano Reggiano,” rather than “Parmesan.”
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, in a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden. Watch carefully and stir frequently as they can burn quickly (and they’re expensive).
Put the green beans in a large bowl. Add the sliced garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, kosher salt, pepper, and sugar.
Toss well.
Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking sheet. Don’t leave any flavor behind: use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the oil and seasoning out of the bowl and onto the beans.
Roast the beans and garlic for 15 minutes. Stir with a spatula to promote even cooking, then continue roasting until the beans are tender throughout, about 10 minutes more. The beans should be fully cooked, with some lightly browned but not shriveled.
Add the lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining lemon zest, and pine nuts to the roasted green beans.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot or room temperature. Vegetables don’t get much better. Enjoy!
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Roasted Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmesan
Roasted green beans are a revelation, especially when tossed with chunks of garlic, lemon, pine nuts, and cheese.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed
- ¼ cup thinly sliced garlic, from 7 to 10 cloves, (a medium clove should yield 4 slices)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons coarsely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden. Watch carefully and stir frequently as they can burn quickly. Immediately transfer the nuts to a small bowl (don't leave them in hot pan as they will continue to cook). Set aside.
- Put the green beans in a large bowl. Add the sliced garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, kosher salt, pepper, and sugar; toss well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet (don’t leave any flavor behind: use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the oil and seasoning out of the bowl and onto the beans).
- Roast the beans and garlic for 15 minutes. Stir with a spatula to promote even cooking, then continue roasting until the beans are tender throughout, about 10 minutes more. The beans should be fully cooked, with some lightly browned but not overly shriveled.
- Add the lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining ½ tablespoon lemon zest, and pine nuts to the beans and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice if necessary. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot or room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 264
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 448 mg
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Could I use frozen whole green beans instead of fresh? If so, any changes to the prep? I just have a Costco-sized bag of them and would like to use them up!
Hi Lauren, I wouldn’t recommend frozen green beans here — sorry!
I’ve roasted green beans from frozen green beans and they are delicious. just roast straight from frozen, or slightly defrosted.
Excellent recipe!
My husband & I love this recipe and sometimes will eat just this for lunch. We have made this both with and without pine nuts, both ways it’s incredible.
We loved this recipe! I used toasted sliced almonds, and it was delicious and easy. I will cut the beans in half next time if it is just for a family meal, as they are easier to eat that way. But presentation is beautiful with whole beans!
Do you think it’s OK to assemble the dish uncooked the night before and let the green beans marinate until I’m ready to roast them?
Yep 🙂
I made these for a dinner party and they were delicious. Everyone commented on them because they were so different from the normal haricots verts or green beans with slivered almonds. I followed the recipe exactly and made them ahead of time–I kept tasting them as they reached room temperature to see whether they truly would be good if I didn’t serve them hot. They were. These will definitely be my go to green bean recipe for company.
These beans are scrumptious at room temperature. I made them early in the day so I could get the rest of Thanksgiving ready—they are so flavorful I had to force myself to stop picking on them.
Delicious!! Even my husband and daughter who don’t like green beans said these were really good and had seconds! Thank you Jen!
Hi Jenn
My son is allergic to some nuts, peanuts, pistachio, cashews – what other nuts can I use that may be approriate. Thanks Karen
Hi Karen, Any nut that he’s not allergic to should work here!
I’m going to use walnuts so my granddaughter can eat this. Pine nuts are a no-no for her.
Wow! I didn’t think green beans could taste this delicious! My husband and I ate the entire recipe and look forward to making this with broccoli. Jenn, what other vegetables would you recommend using? We did use walnuts instead of pine nuts as this is what we had.
Thank you Jenn, your two cook books have made me such a better home chef. All the best to you & your family,
Sandra in California
So glad you enjoyed them! I think this could also work with cauliflower and carrots. Cooking time may be a bit different though so keep an eye on them. 🙂
I used broccoli and walnuts instead of green beans and pine nuts. It was delicious! Will be trying it with the green beans at a later date but broccoli was what I had on hand.