A tasty seasonal side dish, very easy to prepare but really tasty and appetizing… Ligurian-style green beans, with a delicious dressing of anchovies and toasted pine nuts. The recipe is very simple, you just need to boil the green beans and toast the pine nuts, then season everything and add fragrance with a few mint and basil leaves. In a few minutes, you’ll have a flavorful salad on the table, which you can pair with many different main dishes.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 92.83 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.83 (g) of which sugars 2.91 (g)
- Proteins 3.76 (g)
- Fat 6.60 (g) of which saturated 0.60 (g)of which unsaturated 4.58 (g)
- Fibers 2.52 (g)
- Sodium 229.32 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 4 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 8 fillets oil-packed anchovies (or sardines)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- mint
- basil
- extra virgin olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
Tools
- Pot
- Strainer
- Pan non-stick
- Bowl
Preparation
Clean the green beans by removing both ends, wash them, and boil in salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until they reach your desired tenderness.
Drain and let them cool slightly, then transfer to a bowl.
Alternatively, you can steam them or cook in the microwave.
Place the pine nuts in a non-stick skillet and toast them for a few seconds. Remove immediately from heat and transfer to another container.
Finely chop the anchovy fillets and place them in a bowl.
Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, and a pinch of pepper. Optionally, you can add a crushed garlic clove.
Whisk the dressing well with a fork so that the anchovies dissolve.
Pour it over the green beans in the bowl and mix. Finally, add the toasted pine nuts, some mint leaves, and basil.
The Ligurian style green beans are ready to be served… enjoy your meal!
Tips and Notes
You can use either green or yellow beans, as long as they are tender and fresh.
You can omit the garlic if you don’t like it, or substitute the vinegar with lemon juice, or omit it entirely.
You can use anchovy paste instead of fillets.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare the dish ahead of time?
Sure, you can prepare it a few hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Or you can cook the green beans the day before and dress them at the moment.
