Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons honey
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
parmesan cheese for garnish
Black pepper
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, depending on the size of the beans. Shock the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and drain again (this can be done up to a day ahead of time).
Put the pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and process; while the machine is running, add a tablespoon or 2 of the oil to get the mixture moving. Continue to process until you have a thick paste.
Put the remaining olive oil in a large skillet and cook the shallots over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they’re just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the pine nut paste and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, then add the honey and balsamic. Cook for another minute or 2 over high heat, stirring constantly, before adding the green beans. Toss to coat the beans well in the pine nut-shallot mixture and cook just until the beans are warmed through; if the paste becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or 2 of water to thin it out. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.
