Bright Pistachio Pesto French Beans with Crème Fraîche
This vibrant Pistachio Pesto French Beans recipe features crisp-tender green beans tossed in a nutty, herbaceous pistachio basil pesto and served over a smooth layer of crème fraîche. Quick to prepare, visually appealing, and full of fresh, seasonal flavors, it makes a perfect vegetarian side dish for weeknights or elegant dinners.
Ingredients
Pesto & Bean Ingredients
- 125 g French beans fresh, uniformly sized
- 50 g pistachios toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- large pack basil leaves
- 25 g Parmesan cheese grated or shaved
- 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 200 ml crème fraîche
- to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Toast the pistachios in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add basil leaves, garlic, toasted pistachios, and Parmesan to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Slowly stream in olive oil while pulsing to form a chunky pesto. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon if desired.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch French beans for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Immediately transfer beans to ice water to stop cooking and preserve color, then drain well.
- Toss beans with a few spoonfuls of pesto to coat lightly.
- Spread crème fraîche evenly on a serving plate, place beans on top, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle reserved pistachios and extra Parmesan, and finish with black pepper and basil leaves.
Notes
- Use uniformly sized beans for even cooking.
- Pesto can be made ahead and stored for up to 2 days in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Blanched beans are best served immediately to maintain crisp texture and bright color.