Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta

Quick and delicious green beans recipe with fresh green beans, shallots, and pancetta.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 01, 2023
Elise Bauer
Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta
Elise Bauer

It doesn't take much to dress up green beans for a holiday meal. In this recipe the beans first blanched and then sautéed with pancetta and shallots, with some salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning.

You can use thinly sliced onion in place of the shallots or substitute bacon or diced ham for the pancetta if that is what you have on hand.

The secret to delicious green beans is using beans that are crispy fresh to begin with!

Bend one in half; if it breaks easily, it's fresh, if it just bends, without breaking, then it's a little passed its prime and you'll have a tougher time getting the beans to turn out well.

Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta
Elise Bauer

The second tip is to not overcook the beans (though if they are older, you might have to cook them longer than usual to get them tender), and to douse them in an ice water bath after boiling to seal in their bright green color and to stop the cooking.

More Great Recipes for Green Beans!

Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, strings removed (if any)

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 ounces pancetta, diced very small

  • 2 to 3 large shallots, chopped

  • 2 teaspoons butter

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Boil the green beans:

    Blanch the beans in a large pot of boiling salted water 4 minutes, or until they are crisp tender.

    Simple Tip!

    Test one bean. If it is "chewy" keep the beans cooking a bit longer. If you are using French cut beans, or extra thin beans, they may not need to cook as long as 4 minutes; start testing them at 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

  2. Drain and shock with ice water:

    Drain and place the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside. (At this point you can make the beans a day ahead, store in refrigerator.)

  3. Brown the pancetta:

    Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pan to a plate.

  4. Add the shallots:

    Add the shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring often, on medium high heat, in the fat rendered from the pancetta, until lightly browned.

  5. Add the butter and green beans:

    Add butter to the pan; add the drained green beans and pancetta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Stir constantly until the beans are hot and are well mixed with the shallots and pancetta. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
162 Calories
10g Fat
16g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 105mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 14mg 72%
Calcium 70mg 5%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 343mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.