The aroma of the basil when combined with the green beans is vibrant and intoxicating. This dish is almost like a deconstructed pesto without the cheese, or a Southern version of green beans amandine, a once-elegant side dish, that in the 1970s became a sad image of itself, banished to cafeterias and dining halls.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 1/2 pounds haricots verts or other thin green beans, trimmed

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　1/2 cup chopped pecans

　　1 clove garlic, very finely chopped

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander, then set the colander with beans in the ice-water bath (to set the color and stop the cooking), making sure the beans are submerged.

　　

Step 3

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and basil; cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.

　　

Step 4

Drain the beans, shaking off the excess water, and return them to the pot. Toss to combine with the pecan mixture. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.