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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This is a new favorite! Only change I made was cooking it longer because I like my veggies deeper in color. Will definitely be making this again!
Would it be okay to use lime rather than lemon? My husband doesn’t care for lemon.
Hi Rita, I’m not sure lime would work well here, but you can just leave the lemon out — it will still be delicious. If you find it needs a little zing, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar would be nice.
Would regular aluminum foil work okay instead of heavy duty? Thanks!!!
Sure. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Can I substitute (or would you??) asparagus in this recipe??
Also could I make ahead the green beans and mushroom recipe or would like that too mushy to heat back up?
I am trying to find a side for your glazed Salmon.
Thanks so much. I love your recipes and SO does my family. I have made most of what is on your website.
Jackie
I do think asparagus would work here. And you could get away with making the green bean and mushroom recipe in advance as long as you gently reheat it. Hope that helps!
Hello! Is it possible to use canned green beans or would fresh ones be best? I only have canned but I wasn’t sure if it’ll be too soggy?
I think fresh would be best here – sorry!
Made these last nite and they were awesome! I do have one question: the recipe says to slice the garlic lengthwise – I did but have never done that before and the picture above doesn’t look like it was done that way. I might try the usual way next time. Is there a difference? At any rate, this recipe is so good it’s decadent!
Btw, just ordered your cookbook.
Hi Joan, Glad you enjoyed these! It may not look like it in the pics, but it is sliced. If you mince the garlic next time, you’ll just get more garlic flavor as the smaller the cut, the stronger the garlic flavor. And thanks for your support with the cookbook! 🙂
Can brown sugar be used instead of white sugar?
Thanks
Carolyn
Sure, Carolyn, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Not a huge fan of green beans but this is incredible!
My husband said this was the best green bean recipe ever. So glad we tried this. It was delicious.
Looks fabulous !
If I am out of (or to lazy to peel and slice) fresh garlic, would it work with minced from a jar in the fridge ?
Because the garlic is sliced here as opposed to minced, I’d recommend sticking with fresh – sorry!