Roasted Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmesan
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Looking for a side dish that steals the show? Roasted green beans with garlic, lemon, Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts are simple, flavorful, and sure to impress!
While roasting isn’t the most common method for cooking green beans, it absolutely should be! Roasted green beans are a game changer—tender, caramelized, and packed with flavor, unlike boiled beans that can be bland and squeaky. This recipe from Washington, DC chef Ris Lacoste is hands down one of the best green bean (and vegetable) dishes I’ve ever had.
The beans roast with heaps of sliced garlic, which turn mellow and sweet, then get a finishing touch of bright lemon, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and crunchy toasted pine nuts. They’re perfect alongside parmesan crusted chicken or a simple steak—and they reheat beautifully, too.
“I’m obsessed! SO much flavor.”
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Green Beans
- Pine Nuts: Lightly toasted, these nuts add a rich, buttery flavor and a pleasant crunch.
- Fresh Green Beans: Provide a crisp, fresh texture that holds up well during roasting. To save time, use pre-washed and trimmed beans from a bag.
- Garlic: When thinly sliced and roasted, the garlic becomes caramelized and mellow.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Coats the beans, ensuring they roast evenly while adding richness.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Adds a bright, citrusy flavor that balances the richness.
- Sugar: Helps balance the lemon and boosts caramelization of the green beans.
- Coarsely Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds a salty, nutty flavor that melts slightly over the warm beans. Use authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano and avoid pre-grated “Parmesan”—it is not the same!
- 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 and transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Roast the beans and garlic for 15 minutes, stir, then continue roasting until the beans are tender, about 10 minutes more.
Add the lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining lemon zest, and pine nuts to the roasted green beans.
Toss well, then transfer to a serving platter and serve hot or room temperature. The beans can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.
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Roasted Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmesan
Looking for a side dish that steals the show? Roasted green beans with garlic, lemon, Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts are simple, flavorful, and sure to impress!
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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The beans can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.
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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I plan to make these for a 60th birthday buffet. Do you think I could keep them warm in the oven (on very low) and put out at the last minute or should I just serve room temp?
Hi Lori, depending on how long you keep them in the oven they may overcook. I’ve never served them room temperature, but I think you could get away with it.
Would you suggest blanching the beans first? I often do that prior to sauteing them, as it preserves the bright green color.
Hi Libby, I don’t think it’s necessary here. Enjoy!
I made these for dinner last night. It is delicious and the flavor makes the green beans much more interesting. The only thing I wonder is why the beans didn’t stay fresh green and turned kind of yellow.
Hi Maria, Glad you liked them! The lemon zest and the cheese adds some yellow coloring on top but I’m honestly not sure why the beans would turn yellow — I’ve never experienced that!
Hi Jenn,
I would love to make this and your recipe is always the best no hesitation. I don’t have pine nuts on hand is pecans or blanched slice almonds would work here? do i need it toasted.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Rose G.
Hi Rose, I think the almonds would work nicely, and yes I would toast them.
Great recipe. Follow the instructions as written and you won’t be disappointed.
Hello, can this be made with frozen green beans?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Rose — sorry!
Hi!
Is there any way these can be made in advance to bring to a dinner? Or partially made & baked there?
Thanks!
Lynn
Hi Lynn, You could partially make them and then bake at your destination. Or if you want to make them ahead, I’d reheat them briefly in the microwave – just until heated through before serving them.
Oh awesome! That’s what I was hoping to do- make & reheat. I was concerned they might be soggy. Thank you!
OK so I made this one exactly as Jenn instructed. No substitutions, no creative additions (on my part!) bc I really trust Jenn and want to experience the recipe as she wrote it (she is the expert IMO). This is the BEST green bean recipe I have tried and I have tried many over the years as I love to cook and been doing it for 50+ yrs. My daughter is now another devotee of Jenn. I always look forward to seeing her email surface in mine as I know that she will present another great recipe for me to try!
💗
What a great side dish! You can’t go wrong with roasted vegetables but these are such an elegant touch. I really recommend that no one leave out any part of it. Of course you can’t go wrong with Parmesan cheese but the pine nuts, lemon juice & zest just add that special touch.
I love green beans, and these did not disappoint. I left out the pine nuts, as I didn’t have any on hand, and they were still great! I’ll have to make them again with the nuts, I’m sure they’re even better that way!
This is such a great recipe for dinner parties/potlucks. It is a true crowd pleaser. It’s also a great way to liven up those garden beans in your freezer in the dead of winter!
I find myself eating them like potato chips!