On social media, many call me the queen of homemade pestos, perhaps because over the years since I opened my first blog, I’ve experimented with a wide variety of them! I really enjoy exploiting the beneficial properties of seasonal vegetables, creating also sauces for my main dishes, which I promptly prepare in abundance to freeze them and have reserves throughout the year even when that vegetable is no longer in season. The green bean pesto and toasted hazelnuts is among these, a concentration of virtues, thanks to their great supply of vitamins A and C, mineral salts, and natural antioxidants like lutein and beta carotene. These properties help fight the notorious free radicals, the main culprits of cell aging, and thus have a pronounced antioxidant function. All this is possible only if you consume these steamed vegetables, because all the nutritional properties will not disperse in the cooking water, did you know? It is certainly a method I recommend for all vegetables in general, but in my opinion, for preparing this pesto, steaming is quite recommended! For its success, it is therefore important to cook the green beans perfectly, that is, cooked but not mushy, nor spongy from too much water absorbed. The rest is all downhill, quality ingredients like parmesan and pecorino, the latter in my case Sicilian DOP! And then the hazelnuts, the choice is really important, I chose the Piedmontese ones, particularly suitable for roasting, to give the pesto a truly unique scent and aroma! Pure, this pesto can be the perfect accompaniment sauce for cheeses, meats, and fish. A light sauce to serve even as a starter, spread for instance on bruschetta, or to stuff vol-au-vent, and thinned with cooking water, it will be the ideal condiment for fabulous main dishes. And on that note, follow me because I made a main course based on this pesto that will conquer you at the first bite!
If you are tired of the usual basil pesto and are interested in alternatives, try also these ideas to experiment based on seasonality:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Steaming
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work while costing you nothing extra!
- 9 oz green beans
- 1 oz grated parmesan
- 0.7 oz Sicilian pecorino (grated)
- 1 oz toasted hazelnuts
- 0.7 oz pine nuts
- to taste garlic powder
- A few leaves basil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Steamer
- 1 Mixer
Steps
To prepare the green bean pesto, start by trimming them. Snap off the ends with your hands or, as I did, with kitchen scissors (fig. 1).
At this point, wash them well under running water and place them in the steamer basket, cooking them for about 21′ (fig. 2). Alternatively, you can boil them in water, but don’t overcook them. Once cooked, drain them well in the second case. Then, cut them into chunks; they will be soft and easier to cut (fig. 3).
Transfer them into a food processor or mixer (fig. 4). Blend for a few seconds until they are a thick and consistent pulp, then season to taste with salt (fig. 5).
Also add the garlic powder, grated parmesan, and pecorino (fig. 6).
Add the pine nuts, toasted hazelnuts, and a few basil leaves to taste (fig. 7).
Drizzle everything with a stream of oil (fig. 8).
Blend repeatedly until you achieve a nice smooth and homogeneous puree* (fig. 9).
Transfer into a glass jar, drizzle with more oil on the surface, and serve.
And voilà… the steamed green bean and toasted hazelnut pesto is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the steamed green bean and toasted hazelnut pesto in appropriate airtight containers, preferably glass, for 2-3 days, always taking care to drizzle the surface with a little oil each day. Alternatively, you can freeze your jars for up to 6 months.
Tips
🟣 * If the puree you obtain seems too thick for your culinary preparations, you can add more oil as needed. If necessary, you can thin it with pasta cooking water and you’re all set.
🟣 For a non-vegetarian, but decidedly bolder and more flavorful version, try adding two anchovy fillets in oil to this pesto. A delight to savor.
