Arugula Pesto Snap Beans
The quick blanching process used in this superfresh salad unlocks the beans’ flavors without boiling away their satisfyingly snappy crispness. As with most salads, using few, minimally processed ingredients means that the quality of each ingredient—from the oil to the greens and even the salt—plays a significant role in the quality of the finished product. Using high-quality seasonal ingredients makes this salad positively shine.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Arugula Pesto
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside.
Step 2
Blanch the beans (see Know-how, page 261), cool in the ice water, and drain thoroughly (I usually blot with a paper towel to remove excess water). Chill in the refrigerator.
Step 3
Whisk together the pesto and olive oil until thoroughly combined. Toss the beans in a large bowl with the arugula and 1/2 cup of the cheese; season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix just once to coat the beans with the pesto–olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and serve at room temperature or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Arugula Pesto
Step 4
Place the arugula, Parmesan cheese, almonds, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and pulse several times to chop. Add the lemon juice and pulse to puree. With the motor running, add the olive oil and puree until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, or for up to 1 week.
