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!

Dish of roasted green beans with garlic, lemon, pine nuts, and parmesan.

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.”

Haley

What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Green Beans

roasted green beans ingredients
  • 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).

toasting pine nuts in small skillet

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.

green beans, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar in bowl

Toss well and transfer to a lined baking sheet.

green bean mixture on baking sheet

Roast the beans and garlic for 15 minutes, stir, then continue roasting until the beans are tender, about 10 minutes more.

roasted green beans on baking sheet

Add the lemon juice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining lemon zest, and pine nuts to the roasted green beans.

adding lemon zest, cheese, 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.

Roasted green beans in a serving dish.

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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!

Servings: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Make-Ahead Instructions: The beans can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • 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!

    • — Haley on May 13, 2024
    • Reply
  • Green beans are my least favorite green vegetable, unless they are prepared well. Oh boy, does this recipe fit that bill! Absolutely delicious. Served this at a family dinner and people were raving. Thank you for this excellent dish!

    • — Christine on May 10, 2024
    • Reply
  • While I immensely loved the taste, I prefer my beans crispy to the bite. Next time I will sauté the beans in a pan until crispy then follow the rest of the directions.

    • — Lulu on April 8, 2024
    • Reply
  • This looks great, thanks for the recipe! I’m going to try making this for a dinner party this weekend, but some of my peeps can’t do lactose. Would you recommend just skipping the Parmesan, or would you add some nutritional yeast that can often be used for a salty/umami replacement?

    • — Deb on December 28, 2023
    • Reply
    • I’d go with the nutritional yeast. I’d love to hear how they come out!

      • — Jenn on December 28, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made these with haricot beans and just reduced the olive oil by a Tlbs and the cooking time a bit (kept an eye on them) and shook the pan half way between roasting and these were the absolute best green beans I have ever had ! Loved them and so easy! Thanks so much

    • — Ann Gildner on December 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • I second that! They are the best ever!

      • — Elaine on January 9, 2024
      • Reply
  • I love your roasted vegetables recipes.
    I would love for you to include air fryer time and temperature.
    Thanks

    • — HS on November 29, 2023
    • Reply
    • Glad you like them! I don’t own an air fryer so unfortunately, I can’t tell you about timing and temperature for them. These tips () may help though.

      • — Jenn on November 29, 2023
      • Reply
  • Tried this recipe tonight as a “trial run” before Thanksgiving. It was AMAZING. My husband and I had seconds, and then thirds! Loved the combination of flavors from the lemon, garlic, and pine nuts. Will definitely be making for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Well done!

    • — Maria on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
  • Delicious. Next time I think I’ll use only 4tbsp. Oil. We loved it. I have your books and have tried other recipes. Always good.

    • — Germaine on November 12, 2023
    • Reply
  • Don’t make these unless you want to be instantly addicted! Absolutely my favorite way to make green beans now – they are requested by family EVERY Thanksgiving. The recipe does take some time to prep but it’s totally worth it.

    • — Christy on November 12, 2023
    • Reply
  • Love this recipe! And, I just made your Szechuan Beans – cooking them using a non-stick skillet on the stovetop – until they were slightly wilted/browned. They were delicious! I wonder if I could do the same with this recipe – cooking the green beans on the stovetop – instead of roasting them in the oven – until they are slightly wilted as well. Then add all the other goodies at the end? Seems like it might work?

    • — Karen on August 3, 2023
    • Reply
    • I think that should work. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!

      • — Jenn on August 4, 2023
      • Reply

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