Pesto green beans is a simple side dish that is quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes. Vibrant green beans are cooked and tossed in buttery toasted walnuts and pesto. Just a few simple ingredients pack on the flavor, texture, and excitement. They pair so well with almost any main dish, and are a total crowd pleaser — buttery, nutty, and delicious.
Why You’ll Love Pesto Green Beans
- Green beans are healthy. Even though green beans are a staple food, not many people realize how powerful they are. Low in calories and high in essential nutrients, green beans are packed with antioxidants vitamin C. They’re great for heart health and gut health, and they’re even a recommended food for pregnant people.
- Loaded with flavor, thanks pesto! Need I say more? Pesto is a blended Italian paste traditionally made of basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan cheese. If you need to buy or make extra pesto for this recipe, don’t let that turn you away. You’ll find yourself eating it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Toasted walnuts add the best texture. Don’t skip adding walnuts to this recipe, and don’t skip toasting them. They bring not only delicious nutty flavor to the table, but a crunchy texture that makes eating pesto green beans a more enjoyable experience.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make these easy pesto green beans, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- green beans
- butter
- walnuts - you can substitute this for any nuts that you have on hand. Try it with pecans, almonds, or pine nuts.
- pesto - feel free to use store-bought pesto or homemade. It’s really easy to make basil pesto at home in just a few minutes in the food processor.
- balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
How to Make the Best Pesto green beans
- Cook the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to cool.
- Toast the nuts. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pesto and balsamic vinegar until evenly combined.
- Toss in green beans. Add green beans and toss to coat and warm through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with extra spoonfuls of pesto on top, if desired.
How to Serve
Pesto green beans is a great side dish that goes with almost any main course. Serve it with:
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Keep leftover pesto green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Make sure you let them cool all the way to room temperature before you store them—or else they can get soggy from the condensation.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover pesto green beans in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, but be careful not to overcook them. You want them to stay firm and not get too limp.
More Green Bean and Pesto Recipes
- Roasted Garlic Green Beans (or Air Fryer)
- Sautéed Garlic Green Beans
- Nutty Green Beans
- Green Bean Casserole
- Mascarpone Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Penne Pasta
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Recipe
Pesto Green Beans
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Pesto green beans is a simple side dish that is quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes, tossed in buttery toasted walnuts and pesto. So delicious.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. green beans, washed and trimmed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to cool.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pesto and balsamic vinegar until evenly combined.
- Add green beans and toss to coat and warm through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with extra spoonfuls of pesto on top, if desired.
Notes
How to store: Keep leftover pesto green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Make sure you let them cool all the way to room temperature before you store them—or else they can get soggy from the condensation.
How to reheat: Reheat leftover pesto green beans in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, but be careful not to overcook them. You want them to stay firm and not get too limp.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Lilyann says
These were such a hit at our family lunch, my two daughters (2 & 6yrs old) devoured them! highly recommend this recipe :). I should have made a double batch!
Joy says
Pesto Green Beans sound and look delicious and just what I needed for a change in the menu for Easter! Can harly wait for the crew to sample them for dinner!